The Thing in the Catacombs
by Darkmoose84
Summary: The heroes have revealed their identities (and feelings) to each other, but there is something terrible lurking underneath the streets of Paris. As more people begin disappearing, the Miraculous crew must spring into action. Could it be a new villain or something worse? (No language or graphic violence, but there is some spooky imagery and morose themes, thus the T rating)
1. Hands

The quaint ice cream shop was nice enough with its brightly colored white and pink decor and its massive oblong windows that allowed its patrons to see the now wet and rainy streets of Paris. The dark gray afternoon seemed juxtaposed by the small establishment, and its denizens, all chatting merrily and enjoying their moose tracks, rocky road, mint chocolate chip, and strawberry and cherry sherbet swirl. The only two people who weren't chatting with each other were Adrien and Marinette, who were sitting at a small table next to one of the massive oval windows, both of whom had survived yet another battle against the evil akumatized population and neither of who could tell anyone else about the experience. This time, however, neither truly knew what to say to the other.

After all, it's not every day that you find out your crush has also been your fellow superhero partner for the past year or so.

Adrien nervously ate his ice cream with one hand while Marinette stared blankly into the gleaming silver table, watching his reflection as he ate. She wondered how he could be so calm right now, not knowing he had the same number of butterflies in his own stomach. Still, the two were holding hands, not even conscious of the fact that they were doing so. Maybe they subconsciously didn't want to let each other go, for fear if they did, this dream would somehow end. Certainly, while they both felt shocked, confused, and uncertain, they both had some vague feeling that this was meant to be real.

Finally, Adrien put his spoon down, sighed heavily, and looked up at the top of Marinette's head, as she still looked at the table.

"Well," he gave a chuckle, "I guess the cat's out of the bag now."

"...And you still deliver the cat puns," Marinette muttered to herself.

"Seriously?" Adrien rolled his eyes, "I thought they were endearing. C'mon, it's all I got right now. These are the jokes, people."

"Uh, it's not that I mind them!" Marinette suddenly from the table at the face of the boy she had loved for this long, "It's just a little strange to hear them from you. Not that YOU'RE strange! Unless you wanna be strange! Er, no that'snotwhatImeant! Durrrgh!" She cringed, and her eyes grew wide with shock before she shut them tight, and her face turned beet red before her head slumped down again.

"Marinette," Adrien's tone was understanding and soft, resolving at last to say what needed to be said while gently squeezing her hand, "You really don't need to be nervous around me anymore. It's okay...really. I think we're beyond it at this point."

"You're...you're right," Marinette looked up at him and held his hand tighter as well. All that was gone and left behind. She didn't need to feel afraid or alone anymore. But then her expression changed. "But I've...I've got a few things to say. I had told you time and again, we can't give out our identities! It's a matter of safety!"

"Look," Adrien shrugged, "We were about to die, and I was taking a big risk in powering down before powering up again on short notice. Really needed that extra Cataclysm attack. Plus, I...if we were to have died in that moment, I wanted you to know the man behind the cat. I guess it was the purrfect opportunity."

"But anyone can be akumatized," Marinette continued, "and if you get akumatized and become Hawkmoth's eyes and ears, you'll know where to find me."

"For one thing," Adrien continued, "neither one of us has been akumatized yet. I'm starting to doubt we ever will. But second, and more importantly, it gives us the benefit of knowing each other's whereabouts. I mean, didn't you wonder where I was when I got turned to gold glitter and couldn't help out that once? Or all those other times I was captured as Adrien and couldn't become Chat? I mean think about it. If one of us gets sick or held up in some way, we know what's up and who to call. I mean, all the other super teams in the comics, be it the Avengers, Justice League, Umbrella Academy, the Watchmen, they for the most part know who each other are. What's the problem with us knowing who we are?"

"I guess you're right," Marinette conceded, "But we still can't let the general public know. Chloe is the prime example of why that's a bad idea."

"Fully agreed on that one," Adrien nodded.

"But by your logic," Marinette paused before blurting out, "We have to tell the others! They deserve to know, too!"

"I'm still a little frustrated that you know who they are," Adrien sighed, "and I'm completely in the dark, Chloe notwithstanding."

"Alright!" Marinette resolved, "I'll tell you everything."

And so, she gave the story of how she picked each of the Miraculous users. It was a fairly detailed story, one of which Marinette tried to weave to not make herself sound like a complete ditz that she still felt she was. (Adrien of course never saw her as this, though he did have some questions)

"Wow," Adrien concluded, "I'm not surprised you picked Alya and Nino. They do look and sound an awful lot like them. But remind me again...why Chloe? It doesn't take a genius to see you two clash like fire and ice."

"I actually didn't really pick her," Marinette shook her head, "She found the thing herself...And I guess Pollen really took to her. I can imagine the conversations they had. I mean, Tikki and I talk about everything under the sun: school, family, life,...you…"

"And Plagg and I talk about everything, too," Adrien said, "Sometimes, I thought all of this was in my head and he was just my subconscious giving me all these life lessons I'm supposed to be learning in addition to the heroics."

"I thought the same thing," Marinette laughed, "But really, I can imagine Chloe and Pollen had their fair share of discussions about life, what they wanted, and how she could improve as a hero...and as a person. As of late, she's seemed nicer to Sabrina, and even to us. And that last fight, she overcame that Peacock woman on her own. She didn't even complain when she had to give the Miraculous back..."

"Are you having second thoughts about kicking her off the team?"

"Had she used just a bit more discretion," Marinette responded, "I wouldn't have had to think twice about keeping her on..."

"Maybe there's a way she could have a second chance?" Adrien gave a nervous smirk and a shrug.

"Maybe," Marinette sighed, "But I'm worried it's irreversible at this point. I mean, Hawkmoth knows who she is and is going to keep coming for her. But maybe we can convince him, and in turn the rest of Paris, otherwise. Maybe I'll ask Alya."

"But can we," poor Adrien's voice was shaky, "address the elephant in the room?" He held up his hand that was still tightly locked with Marinette's. "I need to know what this means. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That this might be a dream, and if you let go of my hand, we'll both wake up?"

"Exactly," Adrien replied, "I need to know what this means. I've liked you for so long, m'lady. Can I still call you that? And then to find out you've been someone close to me..."

"And I er, ugh..." Marinette blurted out, stumbling over her own words and she tried to form a cohesive sentence, "I've liked you a long time, too…as Adrien. When you were Chat, I was always worried I was breaking your heart because I actually liked the non-superhero you. But now that I know you're both one in the same..."

"And I thought you liked that Luka guy," Adrien chuckled, "He is a pretty cool guy, after all. And I'm pretty sure he's Viperion."

"No, he and aren't like that!" Marinette stuttered, "I..."

She looked up at his warm smile and noticed that a lot of the anxiety and awkwardness he must have been feeling was beginning to fade. His emerald eyes seemed to give off such a warmth that made her both comfortable and uncomfortable all at once. It was a feeling she had never felt, and it was too intense for her. She immediately looked back down at the silver table. "I'm not used to feeling like this. Open and accepted...at least not romantically."

Adrien got up, still holding Marinette's hand, and walked over to the other side of the table. He used his free hand to lift Marinette's chin and raise her head to meet her face to face once more. He looked into her gorgeous sapphire eyes of which her beautiful dark hair had framed. He wished he could look into them all day but that would have only made them both feel more compromised. But still, he spoke.

"Remember what I said?" he asked, "You don't have to feel embarrassed around me anymore, Bugaboo."

"And you still call me that," Marinette laughed, and for a moment, it looked like there was a tear in her eye. Was she happy? Upset? He wasn't sure, and neither was she. But still she stood. "I guess I need to ask you now...Can I kiss you, Kitty?"

"Whoa," Adrien was startled, "Already?"

"We've worked together and known each other this long," Marinette smiled, "And if this is a dream, I want to enjoy it to its fullest."

The two leaned forward, closing their eyes, and their lips met. It was soft, warm, and exactly how they imagined it.

"I've been wanting so long to do that," Marinette smiled wider.

"I guess you could say, it was purr-fect?" Adrien asked and chuckled.

"You and your puns," she reached up and flooffed his hair, "But you can let go of my hand now. I'm okay to wake now."

"Sorry, m'lady," Adrien replied, "I'm not quite ready yet. Why don't we walk to the movie theater? Nino and Alya are meeting there, and I'd like to see how they react to us revealing our identities to them."

"You're right," Marinette nodded, "I'd like to see the look on their faces as well."

The two walked out of the ice cream parlor and into the drizzling rainy streets of Paris. The sky had a dark cloudy overcast that seemed almost to have a pale blue tint to it that bathed the world below it in a similar color.

While the two teens were happy to finally be near one another, they couldn't shake the notion that something was very wrong here. There was a heaviness in the atmosphere, and it wasn't just the humidity or the moisture. They both felt watched. As they crossed the street, this feeling of dread became more prevalent. What mainly disturbed them was the realization that there were no cars, no people walking the streets, no birds flying overhead, and no sound but that of the pitter-patter of the gentle falling rain on the ground.

"Let's walk faster, m'lady," Adrien muttered.

"Agreed," Marinette yelped softly, wrapping her arm around his and walking closer to him. The two quickened pace down the concrete sidewalk towards the direction of the theater. Soon, they could hear something behind them, faint at first, but it then escalated into what amounted to a loud whisper. Then, it became some loud wooshing sound that carried some faint words within it that neither of them could understand. Whatever it was, it was getting closer, and neither of them wanted to look behind them. All they knew is that they needed to move faster. Eventually, the two broke into a jog, and then a run as this presence followed them with its disturbing muffled chanting and its chilling thumping sound of irregular, unnatural footsteps.

Marinette eventually worked up the courage to look behind her and immediately wished she had not. It was a brief look over her and Adrien's shoulders, but what she could make out of the thing's indescribable shape was a dark shadowy mass with skulls, eyes, and a collection of skeletal hands reaching out for them. She stifled a scream and steeled herself while trying to form a plan.

"Turn the corner!" Marinette shouted as this eldritch horror flew closer and closer to them, "If we can lose it somewhere down an alley or something, we can power up and see what we can do to fight it."

"You got it, Bugaboo!" Adrien agreed, the empty streets echoing his voice. The two darted down an alley, with the unknown entity in hot pursuit. They then darted down another alley, ran down another city block, darted down another alley, but all to no avail. It seemed to be just as fast as they were and seemed almost attached to them in some way. Still, they ran, panting and gasping and somehow still holding hands.

Finally, they darted behind another corner and ducked behind a dumpster. The two shouted for their kwamis to transform them, making them now Ladybug and Chat Noir. They looked at each other, sharing this surreal feeling of seeing the other in costume and knowing who they were underneath. This was all too brief, however, as the two came back up from behind the dumpster to face the unnamed and unnameable phantasmagoria.

What they were met with, however, was silence and emptiness.

They walked forward a bit to peer down the adjacent alleyway, only to find nothing. The two walked hand in hand out to the street, only to see it full of the usual people once more, albeit the ones who were braving the rain with their umbrellas and ponchos. A couple people stopped to greet them.

"Oh, wow, it's Ladybug and Chat Noir!" a little girl exclaimed, "Mommy look!"

"Greetings, Ladybug," Roger the police officer approached them, "What brings you out on a day like this? Is there trouble somewhere?"

"I don't think so," Ladybug answered, somewhere unsure.

"And what's this about?" the little girl's mother asked, pointing to their interlocked hands.

"Oh, this?" Ladybug and Chat both responded nervously and released their grasp. "Nothing at all!"

They both then looked at each other in an awkward silence.

Neither of them had woken up. And they could feel and smell the sensations all around them. None of this was a dream.

* #*

The two said their goodbyes to the general public, found an unseen alcove to power down, and proceeded to the movie theater. Nino and Alya were both walking out when they caught sight of their friends.

"Oh, hey Marinette," Alya smiled pleasantly and waved.

"Yo, what up, dudes?" Nino was likewise in good spirits.

"Guys, I'm glad we found you," Marinette said, "We've got a few things we need to announce."

"With Adrien here?" Alya showed her excitement and leaned forward to whisper, "Are you two a thing now?"

"I actually think we are," Marinette smiled awkwardly once more.

"No need to whisper," Adrien added, "I'm right here!"

"Fantastic!" Alya shouted with joy, "I've been cheering for you two for so long."

"But that's not the main reason," Marinette continued, "I think there's another akumatized villain somewhere, and I think it's chasing us!"

"Don't worry," Alya patted Marinette's shoulder, "Ladybug and Chat are on it." She looked over and winked at Nino. "Maybe they'll ask for Rena Rouge and Carapace's help?"

"Well, actually..." Adrien interjected, "You might want to sit down for the next bit of news."

The four proceeded to a nearby alcove devoid of other people. There was a heaviness between the group. What did they have to show them? Was it something terrible, something the heroes couldn't fix?

"Ready?" Marinette asked her friends.

"Girl, just show us," Alya replied warmly, "I think you'll feel a lot better once it's out."

Marinette and Adrien shouted in unison, "Transform me!" (or could it have been some combination of "Spots On!" or "Claws Out!"). In a flash of light, they were once again Ladybug and Chat Noir, now staring into the gaping-mouthed expression of their closest friends. Another long silence occurred as all they could do was stare in awe.

"I KNEW IT!" Alya broke the silence and pointed at them, causing the rest of the group to jump. She then turned to Nino. "Didn't I say it was them? I think you owe me 20 Euros!"


	2. Loss and Reveal

Roger Raincomprix loved his job. He was always one for law and order and believed it was his duty to keep Paris a clean town, for his family, for its citizens, and for its visitors. The city was gorgeous and remained the perfect home for him and his daughter with perfect educational and career opportunities for her when she graduated high school. Helping people and keeping the peace was his way of giving back to the city, and he loved every minute of it. (Though he wished Sabrina would learn to stand up for herself more often)

What he didn't like was heading into dark enclosed spaces, though he refused to show any sign of fear to the public. Yet, those primal instincts of venturing into the unknown and having limited movement and breathing space really did not sit well for him. Still, he now found himself faced with preparing to conduct a small manhunt for some missing tourists in the Paris Catacombs. Half a group had made it out and called in to report that several of their friends and family had simply vanished while down there.

Right now, Roger was sanding at the crossroad of Place Denfert-Rochereau, getting a statement from an American woman whose new husband had disappeared while they were on tour.

"And we were..." the woman said through the sobbing, "We were looking at this tower of skulls when I got this weird feeling. It was just...this weird feeling of sadness and anxiousness, and I don't know where it came from. I turn around to hear this mother start screaming for her little boy..." she then began weeping harder, "...and then I find my husband is gone, too!" It was weird for her to say 'husband' since they had only been married for two days.

"I see," Roger replied (his English had greatly improved over the years, as it was becoming more of an unspoken requirement to learn it given how many tourists there were here), "And do you know about what time this took place?"

"About 15 minutes ago, I guess," the poor woman looked exhausted and very cold. It didn't help that the spring rain wasn't helping anything. They were under a shaded tree, but it didn't stop the horrible feeling of coldness from sinking into her core. Roger almost felt as if he were beginning to succumb to it as well, and it wasn't just that he didn't have an umbrella over his head.

Something hung in the air like a cloud of smog eating away at the ozone layer, something very wrong.

"Did you see anyone else?" Roger asked, "Anyone suspicious or seeming to watch you?"

"No..."

"No doubt you're aware," Roger continued on the subject, "of the rise in metahumans over the past year or so. The Akumatized. Could anyone in the group have looked like they could have been one of them?"

"No!" the woman insisted, clearly annoyed in addition to having this overwhelming look of sadness and coldness on her face, "I've watched the news! I know what those supervillains look like, and they're anything but subtle. With those flashy outfits and evil laughter, they stand out like neon signs. No, I didn't see anyone like that..."

"Okay, okay," Roger tried to calm her down, "Just trying to be sure. Okay, now, can you tell me anything else?"

"Maybe, for a moment," the woman said, "when I first got that weird feeling, the lights began to flicker. And maybe I did see something strange out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't make it out. It was...shapeless. It just made no sense. My mind immediately turned to ghosts as a possibility, but not with that many people around; someone would have seen it, too, right?"

"Maybe," Roger speculated, "We're still getting all of the other witness testimonies."

"Please tell me you'll find him," the woman cried, "Please tell me he'll be okay!" she began looking over at the asphalt of the street, watching the raindrops sputter and bounce as they hit the surface of where her new husband and so many others were now sealed, and what awaited the police during their investigation. "We planned our wedding for so long...and we were best friends for years before we were a couple. Engaged to my best friend...it was such a joy to finally be married..."

"Don't worry, mademoiselle," Roger winked and smiled, possibly playing up a charming stereotype to lift her spirits, "We'll find him, and the two of you can continue your honeymoon in peace. Who knows? Maybe the two of you will look back on this and laugh."

The other officers lead the woman away from the scene, while Roger instructed his men to be cautious in that it still might be an Akumatized citizen for all they knew. Team 2 was still covering the 'illegal' entrance near the old railway track, but they were wearing their wet suits in order to deal with any waterways that were too deep.

"Alright, everyone," Roger concluded to his fellow officers, "Lets move out!" He and his team proceeded down the tourist-ready steps downward into the ancient Paris Catacombs. It was of course fully well lit, allowing everyone to see what was in front of them. They eventually made their way down to the Catacomb level and began to branch out and investigate.

Some of them wished they had Ladybug and Chat Noir's phone numbers, but being vigilantes, they did not give out their numbers to anyone, let alone the police.

Roger had no choice but to steel himself as he ventured between the archway, over which there read the ominous description, "Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort!" He took a deep breath, held up his flashlight, and headed inside. It had the same familiar musty dampness from his last visit here. It was nothing more than a giant tomb, he had told himself, and none of these plague victims were still living. There were still plenty of electric lights that lined the walls enough for them to see, but he wanted to make sure he didn't miss anything and kept his flashlight at the ready.

As he and his crew proceeded inside, however, each of them began to get this same sensation that something was off. They felt as if none of them were good enough to do this job, that they had indeed overlooked everything about this case, and there had to be something they missed. At the same time, they all collectively felt that there was no escape from this, that none of them would find the missing people and that it was a fruitless effort to continue this. They all should just stop and give up on everything, because everything ended here. This feeling of hopelessness and helplessness became more pervasive within their very being as they made progress down the long corridor, lined with the bones of the long dead who came before them, all of them having faced the same existence yet meeting different fates in the same reality.

As they made their way forward, the lights began to flicker and fade. Eventually, the light faded almost altogether, save for one low, eerie light at the end of the winding corridor. It gave Roger an ominous feeling of dread that capitalized on these ungrounded, abrupt feelings of depression and anxiety. Though he knew in his mind that this was not correct, he felt as though he were walking to the dark center of the abyss, where Nyarlathotep, the many-faced god-pharaoh, awaits in the darkness to the piping of two amorphous idiot flute-players.

"Do you guys feel that, too?" Roger whispered over his shoulder, also pressing the button on the radio penned to his chest to ask his other team. But he received no answer. There was no more sound. He looked behind him into the now pitched black corridor from whence he came, as one might try to look back into the meaningless past to see if it reflected upon the present. What he found within that darkness, however, was much more horrifying. His mind could not comprehend what he saw: was it gelatinous, tendril-like, solid, liquid, gaseous? What he could make out in the darkness were glowing yellow balls for eyes in many a floating skull, and long bony hands reaching forth to him. And as they did, Roger knew no more.

Marinette made her way into the school, trying to shake off the cold feeling of the rain. She had forgotten to bring her umbrella once again; the girl had a lot on her mind from what had happened this weekend. She and Adrien had their first kiss...only to then have some horrible creature attack them. But she knew only that whatever it was and whenever it would appear again, she and Adrien could both handle it. They were superheroes, after all.

Alya came to greet her.

"Hey, girl!" she chimed and pulled out her phone, "The LadyNoir shipping memes have already started!" She swiped through various pictures on her phone of the photos that had come from this weekend of her and Chat holding hands and looking embarrassed. Most of them were the two of them cropped into a giant heart or having tiny pink and red hearts around them. None of them looked very creative.

"I suppose they would," Marinette blushed, "But it's extremely embarrassing."

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about," Alya laughed, "You two clearly care about each other; the rest of the world can say what they want about it. Why hide how you feel? I mean, I don't feel embarrassed when I kiss Nino in public."

"I guess you're right," Marinette replied, the welling of blood now leaving her face and her embarrassment level dissipating.

"And look who it is now!" Alya waved towards the staircase where Adrien and Nino had been talking. About what, it did not matter, but when Marinette saw Adrien again, that old feeling of nervousness crept back into her.

Adrien obviously lacked this.

"Hey bugaboo!" Adrien smiled, but Alya put her hand over his mouth.

"Not here," she scolded him, "Try another one."

"Sorry," Adrien laughed, "I'll start over. Hey, beautiful."

"That's better," Alya replied, and Marinette couldn't help but laugh. This made much of the nervousness go away, and Marinette began to realize it was pretty silly to feel this way now. They were together at last after all, and all of their secrets were out in the open to them. She leaned in and kissed Adrien once more, and the two of them locked hands.

"I could get used to that every morning," Adrien smiled.

"So could I," Marinette snickered.

"Okay, you two, we need to get to class," Alya reminded them, dragging Nino up the stairs with them.

The four friends proceeded to make their way up the iron stairs to the class, but as they did, Marinette could feel everyone's eyes on them, like this was unbelievable. This actually wasn't the case; at most, the others gave a casual glance and a smile (their long suspicions about their feelings now confirmed), but it was more of an internal feeling Marinette couldn't fight. She felt self-conscious when she was with Adrien, and at once she knew this feeling wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon.

"Oh man, I have so many questions…" Nino asked them under his breath, "Like, how long have you been doing this? Why did you pick us? Have you guys actually ever run into the real Hawkmoth?"

"All these questions answered later in our program," Adrien joked, "when there are not so many ears listening."

They proceeded into the classroom to find that many of their classmates were now crowded around Sabrina and Chloe's desk. They made their way towards the mass of people to see it was centered around a crying Sabrina. Chloe sat next to her, chair turned to face her, a look of both concern and indignation on her face. It was hard to read.

Either way, Sabrina's sobs were heart wrenching for the rest of the class.

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked, breaking through the crowd and placing her hands on the desk. Chloe looked up at Marinette and gave her a narrowed glare, still saying nothing. But under and inside Chloe's uncharacteristically quiet demeanor, something terrible was growing.

"My…My dad," Sabrina muttered, "He's missing…and the rest of the police have no idea where he and his team are…It's like they just disappeared…"

"I'm sorry," Marinette wasn't sure what to say, "I can't imagine—"

"You know Ladybug on a personal level, don't you Marinette!?" Sabrina abruptly stood and grabbed Marinette's shirt, a desperate look in her eyes, "Surely you can get her and her team to help comb the city for him! Maybe she can give Chloe the Bee Miraculous back so she can help, too!"

"I dunno…" Marinette stuttered.

"OF COURSE YOU DON'T KNOW!" Chloe blurted out, likewise standing from her chair, "YOU KNOW NOTHING! NOT ABOUT LADYBUG, NOT ABOUT ADRIEN, AND ESPECIALLY NOT ABOUT THE ONE FRIEND I HAVE LEFT!"

"Chloe," Sabrina sobbed, "Please don't take this out on Marinette. She was just concerned."

"I'll direct my anger where I please!" Chloe growled, "Especially when they're trying to take the most important people from my life!" She then immediately did a 180 degree turn and began storming out of the classroom, but not before grabbing Adrien's shirt. "We need to talk! Now!" Adrien followed her out to the outer walkway where they could speak.

"Okay," Adrien breathed deeply but in his voice was genuine concern, "What's really eating you?" Chloe didn't answer at first, only stared at the floor.

"Say it isn't so, Adrikens," she finally answered, "Tell me you and that Marinette girl aren't dating."

"I'm sorry," Adrien gave a straight, stoic look, knowing that no matter what he said, it wouldn't be a good answer, "but it's true. Marinette and I are a couple."

"Ugh, I knew it!" Chloe growled, "That girl is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! She's clumsy, awkward, and at times, even inconsiderate to her closest friends…even you!" She started to cry. "And you know, I'm starting to get it! I know I need to be nicer myself, and that's something I was working on for a long time. Maybe becoming Queen Bee helped, or maybe it was the thought that one day, you'd see it, too. I've known you nearly my whole life, and you were there for me when my parents weren't. And I don't think I've had to. Why her? Can you tell me that?"

"I'm not good at this sort of thing," Adrien confessed, "I guess if I narrowed it down, I admire her tenacity. When she puts her mind to it, she can do just about anything, at least within reason, or tries to make compromises for it. She makes a conscious effort towards others, and even when she fails at that, she owns up to it and tries to fix it. And I guess we also have some like interests: we both have an appreciation for visual art, such as fashion and photography. And it's always fun when I play that crazy robot fighting game with her. Something about her feels natural, genuine. Like I said I'm not good at this, but I know enough that I like her a lot and am willing to get to know her even more."

"Enough!" Chloe held up her hand and closed her eyes, "You've made your point. I guess, if my Adrikens is happy, I'm happy for you…but…She better treat you right and not hurt you. She slips up, and I won't need my Bee Miraculous to take her down." She paused again. "But there is something else that's bothering me. I do really want to help Sabrina find her bumbling dad, but I just wish I could have that Miraculous again."

"About that," Adrien followed, "There's something we've been planning to tell you, but you can't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Umm, okaaaay!" Chloe raised an eyebrow in apprehension. What could he know about the Miraculous.

"Meet us after school in the fencing locker room," Adrien continued, "You'll see what we mean. Can't talk here; people might be listening."

*#*#*#

The day waned, and the classes proceeded as usual. Miss Bustier gave the assigned homework, of which Marinette and Adrien had already determined how they would work through during the next day. Alya had already completed it and would share with Nino what she did to finish it himself.

Chloe, however, had pushed it out of her mind, as the only thing she could think of was what Adrien had in store for her. He clearly didn't see her the way she saw him (and presumably would forever see him), so what else could this mean? Were he and that Dupin-Chang girl announcing their marriage already? At this young an age? No, it couldn't have been that. This had to do with the Miraculouses. But would Adrien know anything about those? he was just a fashion model, right?

She continued to sit on the floor of the now abandoned school gym, listening to an old Michael Jackson song, "Man in the Mirror," on her phone, and she thought to herself about the events of the last year. Most of the akumatized people were there because of her doing, most recently the return of Stormy Weather. She had felt the anger, the sadness, the hopelessness, and the rage numerous times to allow the Akuma spirit into her, but the most recent time, she had refused to succumb. She wouldn't let anyone or anything take control of who she was. 'You're still a good person,' she told herself in her mind, but she still wrestled with it. Did she want her Miraculous back to help her one friend she had left in the world or was it just for personal gain and recognition again?

Just then, she saw Adrien walk into the room, along with Alya, Nino, and (to her frustration) Marinette.

"Alright, Chloe," Adrien smiled, "I'm glad you believed us enough to stick around."

"I've got one thing to say, though," Chloe snarled and got up from where she was sitting. She walked over and stood no less than half a foot from Marinette. Marinette, who stood petrified with fear, as she had never seen Chloe act THIS direct before could only stare at the top of Chloe's blonde head, since she had it bowed in front of her.

Chloe then finally raised her head, and Marinette could see a mixed look of anger and sadness on her face, one that she had only seen as Ladybug when she was confessing her feelings to her.

"The fact that Adrikens chose you over me is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloe blurted out to Marinette's face, "But…I respect his decision. Just, please, don't hurt him or neglect him or be in any way inconsiderate to him, or I'll tear you apart! Understand?"

"I, uh, I understand," Marinette replied, nervously.

"Good," Chloe let out a breath of exaltation. She had passed the test; she did not let her rage get the better of her and try to harm Marinette, as well as respecting Adrien's choices, much to her aching heart. She sassily waved her hand in front of Marinette's face. "But you know you're still at the mercy of that Kagami girl. However you deal with her is on you." She breathed once more and walked back over to seat on the bleachers. "Alright then." She crossed her legs and arms and turned up her nose. "Go ahead and tell me or show me this big secret. It better be good."

"We're taking a big risk in showing her this," Alya said to Adrien, "You know that, right? She's not been the type to be discreet."

"I can be discreet if I need to be," Chloe retorted angrily, "Adrikens is still my friend, and I agreed not to say anything. Just show me already!"

"Just trust me," Adrien nodded to his companions. They nodded back. All at once, the asked their Kwamis to transform them, revealing their hero personas.

Chloe, upon seeing this, could not fully grasp what she had just seen. The people she thought she knew were actually the super team she had previously been working with to stop Hawkmoth. The room began to sway, and Chloe's whole world convulsed until she thought she would be sick. Instead, she fell to the floor.


	3. Icebreaker

Marinette and Adrien stood at the rear door of the gymnasium, looking outward at the drizzling rain. The dark clouds above filtered the sunlight and bathed the world below in a gray-blue tone that gave it a drab feeling. The streets were lined with small rivers that streamed down into small gutters that washed away any of the red and orange-yellow autumn leaves that dared fall into them.

"It's been raining a week now," Adrien said, his arm wrapped around the shoulder of his new girlfriend, "I wonder when it's going to let up."

"You know," Marinette looked up at him while reaching up to her shoulder to hold his hand, "It was in the rain that I first realized I liked you."

"Oh, really," Adrien chuckled with the grin of a sly cat, "When was that?"

"When you offered me your umbrella," Marinette smiled up at him, "It was really sweet."

"With you being the Miraculous guardian now," Adrien stated, "I guess you had them with you all day; made surprising Chloe a little easier."

"I still think this is a big risk in telling her," Marinette followed, "Alya had a point about her not being the most discreet. Plus Hawkmoth already knows who she is; I'm concerned we're going to be putting her in more danger."

"I've known Chloe for a long time," Adrien responded, "She may be a bit conceited and tough to deal with, but she's not going to go back on her word. And I do believe she is trying to get better; she is also the most experienced with the Bee Miraculous. Better than just giving it to some random new person, especially if we've got a mission as huge as what I think this is going to entail."

The two of them looked back through the gym towards the bleachers. Rena Rouge and Carapace had propped the fainted Chloe up and were trying to revive her. They were going to make sure she was okay and understood what they needed her to do; and Marinette might not have been the best messenger for it, given how frustrated they knew she was towards her currently.

"Think she'll be okay?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she'll be fine," Adrien laughed, "She'll probably have a lot of questions and a lot of confused thoughts. Think we should tell the others, like Luka, Max, and Kagami?"

"I'm already taking a risk in sharing this secret between the five of us," Marinette laughed nervously, "I'd like to keep playing this close to the chest if we can." She wouldn't say it, but it was also that she wanted to avoid her new friend Kagami as much as she could right now, given the new…circumstances with Adrien.

"I doubt Master Fu would approve of any of this," Adrien projected his thought out loud.

"I haven't been able to reach him since he left for Tibet," Marinette replied, "But it's ultimately our judgement call to make now."

"So what's our plan," Adrien began to ask, still holding Marinette close and staring out at the rain, "I mean, if this thing is indeed appearing from entrances to the Catacombs?"

"Alya and I were going to discuss it once Chloe woke up," Marinette answered, "We were thinking of having one of each of us enter the Catacombs at different points from the city. That way, we could cover as much ground as we can. What that means is that we're going to be a bit divided and spread thin. And she and I were already discussing over text messages earlier that we're going to need to make provisions for this. We may be superheroes but we're not invincible."

"Soooo I'm guessing," Adrien inquired, "that means we're going to need a flashlight with an industrial strength battery?"

"Not only that, kitty," Marinette had some concern in her voice, "We're going to need packs full of food and water, not to mention some spare batteries for the aforementioned flashlights. Also, plenty of whatever provisioning our kwamis like to eat whenever we have to power down."

"This all sounds pretty extensive," Adrien showed some apprehension on his face, "Think we can actually pull this off?"

"We have to," Marinette reminded him and put her palm on his chest, "We're heroes. Paris is relying on us."

"Well, I will say this," Adrien smiled at her and placed his hand over the top of hers, "I'm happy to have you with me, my bugaboo, no matter what we face."

"You, too, kitty," And the two leaned forward and kissed with a long, slow, warm passion. Their eyes were shut, yet they could not help but feel that someone was watching them. They turned their heads back towards the wet, rainy world outside to see that there was indeed someone there.

Across the street was Kagami, silently holding an umbrella, who had no doubt witnessed the two of them kiss. She made no gesture, no movement, not even a blink, and all the couple could do was look back at her. Marinette's heart began to flutter, wondering how her new friend must have been feeling. But in the next instant, Kagami shifted 90 degrees and began walking off down the sidewalk in silence.

"Kagami, wait!" Marinette began to cry out from the gym doors, in spite of the fact that she probably could not hear her from that distance through the rain. But Adrien still held her back.

"It's okay, M'Lady," Adrien attempted to calm her down, "She just needs some time. We can both talk to her later when she's ready."

Down the street, Kagami continued to walk. Her mind tried to process what she just saw, and synch it with what her heart told her was truly painful. Her newfound friend had now become romantically involved with the boy she liked.

Was her mother right? Could friendships simply lead to disappointment?

No, her rational mind told her. She had told Marinette on the riverboat that she needed to make up her mind and make her decision; this was of course what Marinette and Adrien had chosen. She couldn't get mad at them for that.

But what did she really feel? Anger, betrayal, rejection? Was it any of these? No, she concluded that she ultimately felt…nothing. Not fear, not sadness, not anger. She didn't even feel the raindrops that pitter-pattered across her umbrella or the slick stone beneath her feet as she walked. She was completely numb in this drab gray-blue world. All she knew was that she needed to keep walking.

She must have walked for about 15 minutes or so before she spotted the ice skating rink across the street, where she and Adrien had previously skated several months ago. She concluded that she could clear her mind before she came back home to her overbearing mother. She neared the crosswalk, and as she did, across the opposite street, she could see another schoolmate, this being Lila Rossi. As Kagami had spotted her, Lila had already noticed her and stood nearly motionless, giving a foreboding smile that broke Kagami's numb feeling and gave her a sense of dread she never thought she would feel.

Kagami noticed the lights had changed and saw that what few people were out in this weather were crossing the street. She looked back across the way and saw that Lila was gone. She shook her head, wondering if she only imagined her being there, and crossed the street likewise to the skating rink.

As she walked through the door, she could hear some soft music playing over the speakers in the ceiling; it was French composer Claude Debussy's "La Cathedrale Engloutie." Her mother had been pressing her to listen to tons of classical music while she both studied for school and practiced her sword fighting. She examined this particular piece online and found the background behind it; the same night she had done this, she imagined the island of Ys rising out of the ocean, its cyclopean structures rearing high above her and its long drowned inhabitants floating through the air as gray-blue wisps, calling out to her, as if to beckon her on to join them in this ancient world. She heard them calling her name even now, all while chanting some phrase in another language she couldn't understand…Ia, Ia, Cthulhu fhtagn…

"Miss Tsurugi," Philippe had spoken to her behind the counter, "Are you okay, mon cheri?"

"Yes," Kagami shook her head, "And I believe skating should clear my head. I request to borrow a pair of skates, please." She then handed the man a small sum of Euros (her allowance still offering her a few niceties such as this) and took the skates to the rink. It was not long before she was out on the cold, bright floor of ice, spinning in circles and losing herself to the cool air of the vast room. When she closed her eyes, the world around her, the stress of school and fencing, the feeling of abandonment she felt when she saw Adrien and Marinette kiss, all of that melted away and gave way to a vast world of snow and ice.

She imagined herself spinning in a small flurry picked up by a brief gust of wind as the sun shown down upon the crystalline plane, all white and blue, giving her a sense of peace she never imagined she would feel. How vast this world was, she could not say, but was it a world of her own making or a realm of the Dreamlands of the collective consciousness of all sentient races? Perhaps this could be the Plateau of Leng or of Tsang, both of which she had read about in some old tome regarding the extension of imaginative consciousness and lucid dreaming.

Either way, she opened her eyes and thought she saw something, as she spun across the ice, some black shape nestled and frozen over, though she could not grasp its form. It was some dark, shadowy amorphous thing, but not the shadow of man nor of any familiar living creature. But wait, the ice was only a few inches thick over beams that kept it cool, right? There could be nothing thick enough to encase anything. She at once spun around again, gazed upon the same spot, and found that nothing was indeed there.

She looked over and saw two familiar figures on the ice, that of the viridian-haired boy Luka and his sister Juleka. He was holding her up by the hands, obviously teaching her how to skate. Kagami stopped for a moment to watch them circle the oval rink and how focused Luka was on making sure his beloved sister did not fall; perhaps she could also branch out the way she did with Marinette and Adrien to him as well.

"See," Luka said to his sister, "You didn't fall after all!"

"Huh," Juleka exulted, "Not as hard as I thought. But I'm going to get back to reading now."

"Sure," Luka smiled and let his sister go, "I'll join you in a minute." He looked up to notice Kagami. "Oh, well hello…Kagami, right?"

"You are correct, Mr. Couffaine," Kagami responded stoically, almost robotically, though this was ultimately to hide how awkward and nervous she felt inside.

"Oh, Luka is fine," he scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed he didn't remember her name at first, "What brings you here today?"

"Simply clearing a muddled mind before returning to studies," and with that, she began to skate again.

He followed her likewise. In truth, she was half hoping he would.

"If you don't mind me asking," Luka began, "maybe I can ask why your mind is so muddled?"

"Not an easily articulated subject," Kagami continued to stare forward and skate.

"Sorry, didn't mean to pry," Luka knew when to back off, but he knew why, and it needed to be said, "But is it about Adrien and Marinette?"

Kagami didn't answer.

"Believe it or not, I feel the same," Luka sighed, "Marinette is an amazing girl, and I really do think she deserves the best life has to offer her…"

"With her own fatal flaws," Kagami followed, still focused on the path ahead of her as the two circled the rink. She could still swear she could see the indefinable splotch in the ice floor, but she still dismissed it as her imagination.

"Yes, of course," Luka followed, "As with anyone, including Adrien. And they're going to make choices you're not going to agree with, choices that may hurt. But that doesn't change who they are, and that doesn't change how wonderful they can still be." He jumped into the air and did a spin, landing in front of her and skating backwards while matching her speed. From here, he was able to look into her eyes. "And when I'm faced with something that just gives me bad vibes, I've got a four step process I go through. My first step is to recognize what I'm facing, then to simply allow and accept the situation at hand." He turned the corner sharply, as did Kagami, but she was more focused on his pretty eyes that matched his blue-green hair, thus causing her to stumble slightly.

Luka reacted quickly and caught her as she was falling.

"Sorry," he said.

"It's fine," she responded, still stoic but seemingly hesitant. She was hoping he didn't notice her face began to flush. The two of them sat down on a nearby bleacher. "Please, continue. This sounds intriguing."

"Sure," Luka continued, "That's not to say you just accept every situation if you can do something about it. This is more for things that are out of your control…like a pretty girl choosing another guy over you…But anyways, the next thing I do is investigate how I feel about this situation. What's bugging me so much about it? And the last thing, naturalize yourself. That you are not identifying with these bad vibes and won't let those negative feelings overwhelm you. I think they call this method RAIN, but I'm not sure." The two of them looked up at the high windows around the structure and watched the splotching of rain drizzling against the glass.

"That's an interesting way of seeing it," Kagami stated, looking over at him and scooting closer to where he was sitting, "I think I did that on the way over here without realizing it." Juleka looked up from her book on Sarah Brightman's cover shots and over towards her brother talking to his new friend. A smirk played across her face.

"With me," Luka continued, leaning back in his chair, "I like to pretty much roll with the changes, since that's really one of the only constants in life. Just gotta flow like water, you know?"

"I believe I understand," Kagami replied, "And I can only envy that approach to life. If I am not continually practicing perfection, then I will falter and be seen as nothing more than a failure."

"There's gotta be times when you can loosen up," Luka shook his head, "We at least enjoy skating and music. At least, I assume you do since you came to our jam practice. Maybe I could help you loosen up, and you could help me discipline myself in order to stay focused on my goals?"

Kagami's heart fluttered. What exactly was she feeling? She couldn't say, but it felt right. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes," she said, inching closer in her seat to him to the point where her hands were almost touching his leg, "I'd like that, however that may work."

Just then, there came a loud banging sound that echoed across the open rink, causing Juleka to stand up, fully alert and looking around. Luka and Kagami's focus was broken, and they began to look around the room as well. There was nothing that could be seen, but it seemed to be coming from multiple sides of the facility.

The three of them stood up and began surveying the area a bit further. The banging sound went on and on, growing louder and louder. After listening closer, they thought it might be coming from the upper windows, as the storm outside grew stronger. They looked towards the entrance area, hoping to see Phillipe, if he were coming to the source of the sound as well.

Instead, from behind the glass, they saw Lila once more, still holding that sinister smile on her face and seeming to stare right into Kagami's eyes even from that long distance across the ice; it was a look that chilled her very core. She spoke no word, and all the other party could do was stare at her as the banging sound grew increasingly louder. After several minutes, Lila raised one of her hands and snapped her fingers, and in that same instant, she vanished into nothingness.

There was a moment's silence; the thundering sound seemed to have ceased, much to the relief of the group's ears. Then, as soon as it was gone, it began once more, this time from the center of the rink. The friends instinctively grew closer to each other, and Luka being the taller one in the center instinctively put his arm around his sister and newfound friend. Kagami looked through the glass at the center of the rink. There had been some black, formless shape in the thin layer of ice, and it seemed to be growing.

But it was only a couple of feet thick. What could possibly be growing under there?

Finally, the heavy tumultuous crashing came from the ice, sending white chunks across the glass, with some enormous undefinable thing shooting up from the floor. It gave a loud screech as it pulled its indescribable immensity into the massive room. The friends' minds then reeled and blacked out upon glimpsing the unnamed and unnameable.


	4. Interlude with a Bee

"And we'll never be royals/It don't run in our blood/That kind of luxe just ain't for us/We crave a different kind of buzz/Let me be your ruler/You can call me queen bee/And baby, I'll rule/Let me live that fantasy" – Lorde

Chloe finished part of her homework (having copied from Sabrina's notes) and checked the lime green LCD digits on her smart watch. It was nearing 4:00 PM, and she realized that she would need some rest before meeting...what should she call her now? Ladybug or Marinette? Her mind still hadn't fully processed that the two were one in the same, but with how frustrated she was with both of

their behavior as of late, she knew it really shouldn't have surprised her.

But for now, she would need to rest, knowing she would be facing some horrendous Akumatized villain and knew she would at least need some sleep before facing them that night.

She laid her head down upon the soft butter-creme silk pillow, and her eyes glided along her arm out to her hand, which clutched her coveted Bee Miraculous oh so tightly. She never thought she would have it again but knew she should at least be somewhat grateful to Marinette for giving it back to her. It was a symbol of trust, of belonging, of usefulness, one that she would not easily break.

But was she meant to be a superhero, or was this just some fantasy she wanted to live? On top of that, her Adrien had chosen Marinette over her...and...

She pulled her arms closer to her, and held the Miraculous close to her chest, prompting Pollen to fly from it.

"You need your rest, my queen," she said, putting her nubby hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"I know, Pollen," Chloe muttered, trying not to cry, "It's just..."

"Shh, shh, shh," Pollen comforted her, floating over to Chloe's face and gently waving her hand in front of her eyelids, prompting her to close them, "Just sleep for now."

Chloe's mind swam through the darkness to, when she unclosed her eyes, some luminous, hexagonal room, sitting atop a likewise golden throne. She was clad in an iridescently glowing yellow and black dress complete with gilded silk elbow gloves and daffodil-colored high heels with black bows. Her heels then carried her forward, the small yellow chariots they were, towards the edge of the small room, allowing her to survey the massive, golden hive below her, all filled with similar rooms with her subjects moving to and fro preparing for something. They were indeed in a hurry, among them being Ladybug, Chat Noir, Rena Rouge, and Carapace, all dressed in black and yellow variations of their normal costumes. Something was indeed coming, and each one of them was on edge because of it.

Chloe raised her hand at once, and all her many subjects halted what they were doing to look up at her before bowing on bent knee. She pointed to each one of her subjects and guided them with her finger where she wanted them, as if orchestrating some massive symphony. She spoke no word but had no need; her workers knew her commands. Soon Kim, Alix, Luka, Kagami, Sabrina, Nathaniel, Juleka, and Max were all hiding with the rest of the heroes.

Ladybug, however, was the exception. The Akumatized villain would obviously be after her Miraculous, though Chloe felt both a sadistic glee and a nagging regret for leaving her as bait. Ladybug didn't protest her queen's will; she could hold her own.

It was then, at the night-clad, shadowy entrance of the hive, the Akumatized villain emerged. Their figure, however, was hidden in a cloud of black hornets, all buzzing and flying towards Ladybug, who continued to twirl her yo-yo. The dark figure lunged towards her out of the cloud. It was this moment for which the other heroes were waiting. Being the worker bees Chloe's mind made them to be, they swarmed the target, stopping them and smothering them on the surface of the massive hive floor. Each of the other heroes held the target to the ground, all in one large cluster of people crawling over them and trying to find a foothold. It was only a matter of time before the Akumatized figure had been sedated and Chloe's workers climbed back to their feet.

Out of Chloe's back grew long, golden insect wings, which she then used to glide down to the surface where the villain was laying. As she approached them, she began to get this uneasy feeling, like she did not want to see who it was. But this needed to be done. She turned the figure over, only to see that it was Queen Hornet, some strange variation of her Queen Wasp persona. The main difference was that her face had a much more unspeakably grotesque quality to it, but it was clearly her, at least a reflection of her own anger, sorrow, and discontent with both her life and herself.

She closed her eyes, not wanting to face the hideous version of herself, only to open her eyes again and find herself back in her room, laying on the bed. She looked across the room and found that the light outside had changed and that Pollen was sleeping inside one of the flowers on the end table; she was cozy and nestled between the stamen and one of the petals. Chloe decided not to disturb her and got up from the bed. She redressed, placing the Bee Miraculous in her hair, and proceeded outside to the balcony. It was still drizzling outside, but not as much as it had been. In fact, off to the west, the bright evening sun was shining through the clouds.

Chloe looked off in the sun's direction. She wondered for a moment if this break in the clouds was a symbol of hope that this rain would eventually stop or if the dull, fading red light of the evening sun, paired with the dark rain clouds, was an ill omen of things to come. But she didn't want to think too hard about it; debating symbolism wasn't her strong suit.

But she still couldn't shake the dream.

She called Sabrina over video chat.

"Yes, Chloe?" Sabrina whimpered sheepishly. She had clearly been crying a minute before the call.

"You answered faster than usual," Chloe rolled her eyes, "But you may want to fix your makeup before you call. It's running down your face and is really unsightly."

"Yes, Chloe," Sabrina complied, immediately grabbing a tissue and wiping the dark mascara streaks from her cheeks, "Do I look better."

"Yes, that's better," Chloe kurtly responded. There was a strange silence between them before she spoke again. "I know you're upset about your dad, but don't worry. Ladybug and I are going to work together to find him and all the other missing people, okay?"

"You mean," a light began to return to Sabrina's face, "you and Ladybug made up?"

"Something like that," Chloe wobbled her opposite hand back and forth, "I'm not sure I'm quite over some of the things she's been doing, but we're on speaking and working terms right now. I did learn a few things about her that, in light of recent events, make a lot more sense."

"Like what sort things?"

"I can't say! That's hero's business!" Chloe snapped, but then she regained control of herself, "But just trust us; everything is going to be fine." She gave Sabrina an uncharacteristically cheerful smile and a wink.

"Thank you, Chloe," Sabrina's day was already becoming brighter with the reassurance, "I know you and Ladybug can solve whatever problems you face together!"

"And I've been thinking..." Chloe mused, looking into Sabrina's eyes on the screen, "You've waited on me hand and foot for so long. Maybe one day soon, I can return the favor. Sometime soon, I'll basically switch places with you for a day. I'll make you dinner, take you shopping, and get you a mani-pedi at this spa I visit. What do you think?"

"Oh, that be great, Chloe," Sabrina beamed, but then she became mousy again, "...if that's not any trouble."

"Of course it isn't!" Chloe responded, "That's what heroes do; they look out for and care for their friends and everyone around them. Just...don't let it go to your head, okay?" At that moment, Chloe wondered if she had fallen into that trap herself. But she would make amends.

"Oh, thank you, Chloe," Sabrina smiled again, "You truly are the greatest heroine of Paris!"

"I know," Chloe smirked, "Now, you should go eat dinner and get your rest. Your dad will be back tomorrow."

"Yes, Chloe. Goodbye."

Chloe hung up the phone and turned her attention back to the room, the smell of the relentless drizzling rain still prevalent to the point where it was making her sick. She shook off the feeling made eight paces through the room towards the flower vase. She then gingerly stroked the top of Pollen's head in an attempt to rouse her.

"Wha-what is it, my queen?" Pollen asked, still groggy from her nap.

"Time to move, Pollen," Chloe stated, "We're going to help Ladybug and her team once again."


	5. Entrance

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,/Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before..." – E. A. Poe

It was a dark and stormy night. 'Isn't that how all these scary stories begin?' Ladybug thought to herself as she overlooked the street below. Across the street was the tourist entrance of the Catacombs, but she wanted to wait until she knew everyone had arrived. The rain made it hard to want to wait, as it continued to get colder the longer she did.

"Ladybug, at the ready," she said into her communicator.

"Rena Rouge and Carapace, in position," she heard Rena say over the speaker. Across town, Rena and Carapace sat on a roof ledge across from the ice rink where earlier that day, something horrendous had occurred.

"Queen Bee...standing by," Queen Bee's voice shook over the communicator, "I hate the rain, and why did I get stuck with the railway entrance? This location is disgusting, utterly disgusting. Couldn't I have gone to the commercial entrance instead?"

"We needed that one covered, too," Ladybug replied, "It's just as important as this one, and the police trust Ladybug and Chat Noir a little more than they do Queen Bee right now. I'm not trying to sound negative to you, Bee, but we're trying to face facts."

"You're..." Queen Bee choked up, "...absolutely right. I'm a heroine, too. I just gotta push through it." There was a hint of indignation in her voice.

"Good," Ladybug answered, "Now, where is…? Chat Noir!" Just then, Chat was flying up to the roof with the extended quarterstaff, and landing next to Ladybug.

"Sorry, I'm late, M'lady," he chimed, energetic as always, "I went by your parent's bakery and got some extra macaroons. Thought my princess and her kwami could use them."

"That was sweet of you, kitty," Ladybug replied with a smile, and the two kissed. She then turned her attention back to the communicator. "Chat has arrived; he just had a little detour."

"Got distracted by a laser pointer," Chat joked while speaking into his own communicator.

"Well, we should go ahead and head down there," Rena resolved.

"Yes," Queen Bee stated with some impatience, "Let's just get this over with! The sooner I'm down and out of there, the sooner I can bathe, perfume, and smell like my sweet self again. But isn't this entrance illegal? I mean, you all are concerned about setting a good example, right?"

"We have permission from the Paris police to investigate it," Rena answered back, "They're willing to let the superheroes go down there, especially if it involves getting one of their own back to them."

"Ugh, fine," Queen Bee responded, "but I don't have a map of the area. Pretty sure I'm going to get lost in the mucky, grimy tunnels down there with no way out." She cringed at the thought of even approaching the foul place.

"Here..." Rena replied, the sound of some light thumping coming from the speaker, "I just sent everyone a map I got from an urban explorer I spoke to earlier this afternoon. Should at least give us some idea of where we're going down there."

"Thanks, Rena," Ladybug chimed in, "That'll be really helpful."

"Alright, alright," Queen Bee rolled her eyes before pausing and switching mental gears, "Okay, going to try and be nice and honest when I say this. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be a hero again with all of you. And I am willing to do the dirty jobs or whatever. Just know that I'm not used to this yet, so if I gripe and moan, just know where it's coming from, okay?"

"We totally get it, Bee," Ladybug answered, "Just know we're all in this together, and you are a part of us."

"You can do it, Bee," Chat chirped pleasantly, "I believe in you; you can do anything you set your mind to!"

"Thanks, Adriki-er I mean Chat," Queen Bee was still getting used to calling him that, "That...means a lot coming from you. Now enough with the mushy stuff; lets get this ridiculous mission underway."

Each one of them switched off their communicators for the time being.

"Ready, kitty?" Ladybug asked.

"Ready, my princess," Chat replied, readjusting the hefty backpack on his shoulders. With that, the two descended to the street. They landed across the street at the well-lit entrance of the Catacombs where several armored police officers were there to greet them.

"Glad you're here, Ladybug!" Lieutenant Schwartz greeted them, "We're keeping the entrances guarded; not going down there like you said, but we're not taking any chances of it coming up here and attacking anyone else, like at the ice skating rink."

"Good plan, officers," Ladybug answered, "I think some of our friends were there...but either way, rest assured, we're going to stop this thing and get everyone back."

With that, Ladybug and Chat headed inside, rounding off-white stone corners until they reached the spiral staircase. As they proceeded downward, it felt as though it would go on forever, leaving the two of them dizzy at first. As they continued, the monotonous thumping of heavy rain outside became softer and softer until it was almost inaudible as they reached the bottom level.

"Ugh, more walking?" Chat moaned, looking down the excessively long corridor before them.

"Better get used to it, kitty," Ladybug retorted, "We've got a lot of ground to cover. But hopefully not too much, if it tries to come find us."

"Cat-ch 22, M'Lady," Chat emphasized the first letters of the phrase, desperate for a cat pun, "We either have to walk and get exhausted through some endless corridors or we get attacked by some monstrosity we don't even fully comprehend or understand."

"Won't know its weaknesses 'til we fight it," Ladybug said. The two then continued down the long, yawning passage to the Catacombs.

Across town, Rena and Carapace walked closer to the massive hole in the ice after having spoken with the police at the door of the rink. But Carapace's mind was elsewhere.

"Are you still thinking of studying abroad?" he asked Rena.

"Yes, I am," Rena sighed as she looked at him with some minor frustration before turning her attention back to the dark abyss that used to be ice, concrete, and electrical wiring, "Miskatonic University has such a good reputation, especially when it comes to anthropology. Plus, it just seems like a good opportunity for me to visit America; I looked up the town, and Arkham, Massachusetts looks like such a gorgeous city, so rich in history and old architecture."

"And possibly hidden magical, paranormal secrets I know you like so much," Carapace chuckled, kneeling over the hole as well.

"Yeah, that, too!" Rena laughed.

"It's just, I dunno..." Carapace began as the two of them jumped down into the darkness, landing on the dusty earth below, "It'll just be hard for me to be away from you for that long. I'd miss you."

As they stood up, she turned to face him and looked him in the eyes before kissing him.

"I'd come back in the summers," Rena assured him, "Plus, this is 2016. We can video chat any time, any where."

"And you'll call often?" Carapace asked, still unsure.

"As often as I can," Rena smiled, "as long as I'm not in class or studying. But right now..." She took him by the hand, held it up, and kissed it, "Just know that we're in this together, no matter where we are."

"You're right," Carapace smiled, knowing he had nothing about which to worry.

"Now, come on," Rena said, lighting up her flashlight in one hand while holding his in the other, "We gotta find that...thing, be it an Akumatized villain or something even worse." The two then ran though the darkness, not necessarily knowing where to go, although with each step, a growing sense of dread began to befall them.

Back at the old railway near Parc Montsouris, Queen Bee loomed over the side of the wall, looking across the tracks and down to the entrance of the massive, dark, arched tunnel into which it terminated. She knew what kind of people dwelt down there and how filthy it was.

"You can do this, Chloe," she reminded herself, "Make Paris proud." She then leaped downward and landed in the center of the tracks. As she stood, she looked towards the tunnel, and her mind was immediately blanketed with dread. She walked towards it with a sense half of foreboding and half of awe at it's magnitude. How long did it take them to build this? When was it built? She needed to brush up on the history of her own city, but it wasn't a concern on her mind.

She looked further into the darkness and saw only the inky void. She stared into it for a long time, wondering what could be beyond it. Could there be gangs, crazed hobos, or maybe even the Akumatized creature itself? Would she even be able to hold her own against the thing? I mean, Marinette did say they'd use the Horse Miraculous as soon as one of them found it, but was she good enough, strong enough, to face the unnamed and unnameable?

"Here goes," she sighed as she lit her high powered flashlight (Which Jean-Whatever-His-Name-Was had picked up in such short notice for her; she really needed to learn his real name if she wanted to keep going with this kindness thing) and proceeded into the unknown. At least she would be out of the rain that was no doubt ruining her perfect hair.

In her 15 years of life, she never would have pictured herself in a place like this. The walls were smothered in graffiti, and a layer of trash covered either side of the track. And there was that Paris stench she could never stand, similar to the one when the sewage empties into the Seine. The rain that had been pouring for days most likely helped amplify it. She tried holding her breath, but it was in vain. Indeed, what puzzled her was that she saw no one else down here. Sure it was night, but she at least expected to see one to three hobos lighting up a fire barrel, trying to stay warm. But no. There was no one and nothing. Not even the chirping of bats (if they were to make a home here) or the scurrying of cockroaches.

Finally, Chloe found the spot for which she had been searching. There was a large gap between the wall and the surface level, and down in this gap was a hole for which she could slide down. She knelt down but then, for the first time in the past half hour, she heard footsteps that were not her own. She looked through the darkness, towards the end of the tunnel, shining her flashlight this way and that, but couldn't find anyone. Gradually, the bulb began to dim, causing Chloe to grunt, exclaim that this was utterly ridiculous, and beat her palms on the flashlight. This did not help at all.

Suddenly, a snap of lightning burst at the end of the tunnel, and Chloe could clearly see someone standing off in the distance. She fancied it looked like a feminine form at least, but no details beyond that. Another flash of lighting, the figure had moved closer, and she could see them a little clearer now. The figure appeared to resemble Lila Rossi, at least with the hairstyle. From the illumination of the lightning, it looked like she was wearing an elegant rose madder evening dress. She still couldn't make out her features, though, which gave the shadowy outline of her figure at the end of the tunnel all the more eerie and unsettling.

Chloe shakily turned on her communicator.

"Uh, guys," Queen Bee muttered, "I think we have a problem."

"What's up, Bee?" Chat asked.

"I think Lila Rossi's down here for some reason," she responded, "I don't know what she'd be doing at this time of night in the rain, but-"

"If Lila is here," Ladybug interjected, "That's not good news. I'm not sure, but I'm starting to think she still might be in league with Hawkmoth."

"I second that," Chat added, "She's a compulsive liar and makes it her sole goal in life to sabotage everything."

"If I were you, Bee," Rena panted, as it sounded like she and Carapace were both running, "I'd get out of there, fast. Is she still there?"

Queen Bee looked back down the tunnel and waited for another lightning flash. It came after about 15 seconds, and to her relief, the figure that might have been Lila was gone. Also, she smiled to see her flashlight had powered back on.

"No," Queen Bee sighed, "There's no one there."

"Still, be on your guard," Chat reminded her, "She could be trying to cause a cat-tastrophe."

With that, Queen Bee turned off her communicator and looked down into the hole beneath her. She took another breath and dove down into the darkness.


	6. Descent

"Feelings don't try to kill you, even the painful ones. Anxiety is a feeling grown too large. A feeling grown aggressive and dangerous. You're responsible for its consequences, you're responsible for treating it. But…you're not responsible for causing it. You're not morally at fault for it. No more than you would be for a tumor." —Patrick Ness, _The Rest of Us Just Live Here _

Ladybug and Chat Noir continued down the winding corridors lined with skulls, having passed the sign warning that this was indeed the Empire of the Dead. Chat couldn't shake the feeling that each one of these skulls were watching them with their sunken eyeless sockets and perceived that they were studying his every movement. He shook his head and tried to refocus.

"Man," he said, "I knew this place was going to be creepy, but I didn't expect to feel like this down here."

"I think it might be the lack of people or tourists," Ladybug replied, "I tend to feel this sense of creepiness when I'm alone."

"I know that feeling," Chat sighed, "Stuck in a big empty house...I just feel so alive when I get out as Chat."

"But we have each other now," Ladybug smiled and grabbed his hand, "That's what matters."

"Right," Chat nodded and kissed her, "So remind me again, what are we doing if one of our other teams spots the monster before we do?"

"Remember, Kitty?" Ladybug produced the Horse Miraculous from her bag, "We use this to teleport straight to them. Since I've used multiple Miraculouses before, it's probably best if I be the one to unify with it."

"Hey," Chat interjected, "Why not let me try my hand at two Miraculouses. I mean, maybe I have the same constitution you do to be able to take it. I just want to be able to share the load with you, Princess." He then bowed to her, as if he were one of her subjects in a royal court.

"Are you sure?" Ladybug asked, raising her eyebrow, "It could drain you. It nearly drained me, and Master Fu said it was extraordinary that I took on as many as I did. I just worry about you..."

"You don't need to worry, Bugaboo," Chat laughed, "I know the risks and am prepared to take it. I wanna be of every use to you as I can be. Just trust me."

"Okay, my Prince," she muttered with some reluctance as she handed over the Miraculous, "I trust you. But if it starts to hurt you, I'm taking it back, okay?" Chat took the glasses and put them on. In the same motion, Kaalki flew out of them.

"And what extravagant excursion are we undergoing today, my lovelies?" she asked.

"We gotta run through the Catacombs in order to find the Akuma," Chat answered.

"Ah," Kaalki chimed, "So our adversary favors the morbid and the ancient Gothic, do they? Well, we shall give them what's forrrAAAAHH!" She was cut off and flew into the Miraculous as Chat gave the command.

"Kaalki, Unify!" he had shouted. No sooner had he then his suit appeared very similar to a black and brown-striped tom cat. "There. Now I'm Pegasus Noir, ready to teleport at a moment's notice, M'Lady."

"Okay, kitty," Ladybug laughed, "Just so long as you don't get drained."

The two continued down a long winding corridor, now in near dead silence, the sound of small droplets of water making a light plopping sound on the weathered earthen floor below. They proceeded onward, still having this unshakable feeling of being watched. Not only that, but there was a heaviness in the air that seemed not to press down upon their heads or shoulders but rather upon their hearts. It was that weird feeling one has at funerals, where the senses were keenly living and awake, that their eyes were taking in the drab browns of earth and ancient bones and the shadowy blackness of each corner, that their noses felt nearly overpowered with the musty smell of dew and decay, and each footfall gave a small shock through their body. It was as though they were anticipating something horrifying around each corner, despite there being nothing.

Was this anxiety? It seemed to be cranked up to eleven and only got worse as they proceeded down the halls.

Still, Ladybug felt some comfort in reaching out and wrapping her arms around Chat's left bicep, resting her head nervously on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Chat asked.

"No..." Ladybug murmured, "I don't think I am. Do you feel this, too?"

"I..." Chat hesitated because he really couldn't quite define this feeling, but he knew very well it was really, "...Yeah, I feel it, too. It must be this place…"

"Right," Ladybug let out a quick sigh of relief, though the anxiety was still there, "That's what it's gotta be. We just have to be strong and push through it." Still, she didn't want to let go of his arm. He was her comfort.

"You're right, M'Lady," Chat nodded, "Maybe it's part of the Akumatized villain's powers, to make us feel ill at ease. But it'll take more than that to stop us." There was some hesitation and doubt in his voice. Still, he knew he needed to be strong for his Bugaboo, his Princess, his polka-dotted Valkyrie.

"Do we..." Ladybug shook her head at a thought, "Do we even know what this villain looks like?"

"You know," Chat squinted, trying to remember yesterday's events, "I actually couldn't tell. I mean I looked back at the thing for a second, but its structure didn't even make sense. It was like this black mass of skulls and arms but also with wispy black smoke making up it's body and bending into shapes that...I just can't put into words." As he tried to think back over yesterday's events, he perceived that the electric lights lining the upper and lower parts of the walls became dimmer as they progressed.

"How are we even going to fight this thing?" Ladybug asked rhetorically, though Chat answered just the same.

"Your Lucky Charm hasn't failed you yet," Chat stated, "Whatever weird object it produces this time, I'm sure it'll somehow put a stop to this thing."

And on they continued down the skeletal-lined hallway, hauling their huge packs of equipment and trying to see through the dim light. Even as they had said these things to make themselves feel better, the gnawing sense of dread and anxiety continued to build within them. And as it did, the electric lights seemed to dim further and further until they were out. Chat Noir immediately lit his enormous flashlight to attempt to see further, his claustrophobia beginning to mount, but he immediately heard Ladybug begin to sob. She had let go of his arm, lurched her way to the wall, and slumped to the ground, beginning to cry.

"I can't do this, my prince," she cried, "I just can't. I'm no hero; I'm a clumsy, inconsiderate fool who's just scraping by out of my luck powers. And it was such a mistake to reveal our identities to the group. If anyone gets Akumatized, Hawkmoth is going to know. And what if your father doesn't like me? He'll try and push us apart and we'll never have our life together and get that hamster we agreed to name..."

"Princess," Chat had to shout, his voice echoing across the long stretching void, "It's okay! I feel the same way right now, and I can't shake this notion that I'm never going to be free of my father and his tightly run schedules and restrictions on me. I'm worried right now that I'm going to be a prisoner forever. But we have to think this through logically."

"I'm actually surprised but happy to hear you say that," Ladybug sniffled as Chat wrapped his arms around her, "Normally you leave the logical thinking to me."

"You're rubbing off on me, M'Lady," Chat laughed nervously, "And see, that only proves you're not as foolish as you claim. You're smart, courageous, caring, and beautiful; you're everything I could have hoped for in a girlfriend. And it's true my father is extremely strict and may not approve of me dating at all, but maybe we can dial it back, at least in the public eye. Keep our relationship a secret and maybe let him get to know you a little first. I mean, you did make some good contributions to his and Audrey's fashion shows several times in the past; he can't just dismiss you."

"Yeah..." Ladybug murmured, "But our identities..."

"About that," Chat continued, taking a huge sigh and fighting his own anxiety, "Chloe said the last Akuma that hit her, she was able to mentally shake it off through her own willpower; that's one of her strengths is that she is resilient and digs her heels in when she wants something or doesn't want something...whiiiiiich can also be a flaw. But if can impart that knowledge of how she was able to do that to us, maybe we won't even need to worry about being Akumatized. But no matter what, we do this together, like we said."

"You're right," Ladybug sighed, "We can do this; I'm the guardian now, and together, we'll overcome anything."

"I love you, M'Lady," Chat said, holding her tighter.

"I love you, too, kitty," she replied, wiping her eyes.

The two of them didn't realize it, but their transformations were out of power. They immediately powered down, causing their kwamis to fly out, slightly drained. (Kaalki must have decided to stay in her Miraculous, feeling a bit dejected that Adrien had unified her so suddenly and hadn't let her finish her sentence) But Tikki had to put in her two cents.

"This weird sadness and worrying isn't real, you two," she explained, "This isn't like either of you at all."

"It sure feels real, though," Marinette sniffled.

"Sugar Cube is right," Plagg continued, "You two guessed it when you said it was from the Akuma. It's probably the weird vibes that whoever or whatever this thing is is giving off."

"Yeah," Adrien breathed heavily, digging through the pouch and tossing Plagg some cheese and Tikki a macaroon while also eating one himself, "But what I'm wondering is who or what could be giving off this sort of vibe. I mean, if Max's robot could be Akumatized, what else could be? Maybe...a ghost of someone who was buried down here?"

"A ghost?" Tikki raised an eyebrow, "Don't be silly; ghosts don't exi-"

"Hold on there, Sugar Cube," Plagg interjected, "I don't think you've see one yet, being the kwami of creation, but...I sure have. I've been to some pretty spooky, desolate places over the centuries, seen a lot of strange sights. You bet I believe in ghosts. Adrien's on to something; who's to say that Nooroo's powers couldn't affect the undead?"

"If that's the case," Marinette began, "how do we fight something like that?"

There was a long pause between the four of them. After a few seconds, Adrien picked up his flashlight and aimed it across the hall. He could not help but feel the skulls, their empty sockets representing the unseen eyes of the departed, were staring down at the four of them, peering into their souls. Yet, his focus was on the unseen blackness ahead that his light could not seem to penetrate. Adrien stared deeply into the void, the stygian yawning blackness beyond. He wondered for a moment what could be lurking ahead, not just physically but what could be unseen beyond their comprehension. What awaited them across the void of existence? How long did they all have left, the kwamis included, before they would ultimately face this undiscovered country, this shadowy realm beyond even these spirits' comprehension?

Suddenly there came a loud but distant thump which made the four of them jump. It seemed to continue in some rhythmic fashion as it continued to move further and further away from them; it was as though someone were repeatedly dropping a massive cannon ball over and over again. Eventually, it began to fade as a new sound took its place, that of some disembodied psychotic laughter that echoed down the long, unseen corridor. It continued on for several minutes before finally morphing into some low inhuman growl and finally fading away to silence.

"I guess we better go face it," Adrien breathed heavily, steeling himself.

"Yeah," Marinette replied as the two helped each other to their feet, "we are heroes after all; even if we don't know what we're up against, we'll face it head on." She turned to the kwamis. "Are you two ready to transform back?"

"Sorry, Marinette," Tikki answered, "I don't think we're fully powered back up yet." She continued to gingerly munch on her macaroon. "I think this place is affecting us, too."

"We'll be up and running soon," Plagg followed, "But you're on your own for now."

The four of them proceeded down further into the now pitched black hallways, still lined with the countless bones from centuries ago. They knew not what they heard or what might be facing them around any corner, but they were prepared, even if it was a fool's errand.

*.*.*

This doesn't make any sense, Rena Rouge thought to herself as she examined the map while she and Carapace walked through the dark tunnels, their flashlights their only guide.

"This should be correct," she said in frustration, "We should have seen at least some bones by now and reached the main part of the catacombs."

"Could it be we took a wrong turn?" Carapace asked.

"No," Rena yelped curtly, shaking her head, "I know I have better sense of direction than that. And I swear, I've seen these same graffiti signs at least three times." She pointed to some scribbling that might have read 'Mourir c'est vivre' but the writing itself was atrocious, they really couldn't tell.

"Maybe the gang member or crazy person just wanted to write it a bunch?" Carapace shrugged and gave an awkward smile.

"I guess," Rena raised an eyebrow, but she began walking a little slower, "Do you...feel that?"

"What?" Carapace asked.

"I just got this weird vibe," Rena replied, "Just this feeling of anxiousness all of a sudden."

"No more than being in a cramped tunnel full of skeletons would make anyone feel," Carapace followed.

"Yeah, I guess it's just that," Rena sighed nervously, "Hey, I should look at this positively. This is giving me some good practice for when I'm inspecting tombs, caves, and other places rich in history."

"You're really taking this anthropology thing seriously, aren't you?" Carapace asked rhetorically, but Rena still answered.

"You bet!" she chimed, "For as long as you've known me, you've known I have a taste for ancient secrets and new truths about how old civilizations are still affecting the modern world. And I guess I was on to something when I found all the Miraculous Order's symbols on everything."

"Well, I'm happy we're a part of it together," Carapace followed, "We get to look out for each other when all the weirdness happens. But speaking of which, I feel like that weird vibe is just getting weirder. I don't know, I don't feel right, ya know?"

"You're right," Rena shuddered, "I've got a bad feeling about this, too. But we gotta keep going. We're heroes after all."

The two continued along the path, though it did start to look familiar, as if they were going in circles despite there being no curve in the corridor. Eventually, after about two or three minutes of straight walking, they began seeing what looked like a different set of ground, as if the concrete tunnel fused into the brown, smoothed-out earth one would normally find in the rest of the catacombs.

"Finally!" Rena Rouge groaned, "Now we're starting to get into the main part of the catacombs."

"Oh, man!" Carapace breathed some sigh of relief, "I thought I was going to go nuts there."

"Still," Rena rubbed her head while looking at her phone's screen with the PDF of the map, "This doesn't look like any of the paths on the map. Maybe we discovered a new area." She rolled her eyes. "Any other day, I'd feel good about that, but we're on a mission here."

"Well, we better keep going," Carapace added, readying his shield while holding his flashlight in the other, "I'll protect you, my Kuzunoha."

"You know about Kuzunoha?" Rena Rouge chuckled, "I'm impressed."

"Yeah, I started reading about fox stories after I found out..." Carapace replied.

"Alright, my world turtle," Rena kissed him on the cheek while readying her flute, "lead the way." But as they made their way forward, before the concrete gave way to the skeletal-lined smoothed earth, there was one last but of graffiti she noticed. It seemed to read, 'Un pèlerinage terrible pour chercher le trône nocturne du lointain démon-sultan Azathoth,' though the writing was likewise awful. She knew she had seen the name Azathoth somewhere, but she couldn't say for certain. Either way, the very thought of the name gave her a headache for no explicable reason, so she decided to try to put it out of her mind and focus on moving through the darkened bone-riddled caves.

The two made their way across the darkened corridor for roughly a minute as it dipped and curved in bizarre angles when, in a profoundly disturbing surprise, they heard the soft call of some raspy voice crying out, "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"

A chill ran down Rena Rouge's spine.

"I know that call," she said, "I was reading some online material from Myskatonic's website about both the travels of Arthur Gordan Pym and then about the failed expedition the university's research team made back in the 1930's. Both reported hearing that sound..."

Just as they rounded the corner, they could see what looked like a large, likewise bone-filled chamber to their right. The good news was that there were electric lights that lined the ceiling, allowing them to view the full aspect of the large room; the bad news was they wished it hadn't, as it forced them to set eyes on the hideous creatures making that sound. There were two large masses that clung to the walls, a black oozing mass of tendrils, green glowing eyes, and small mouths filled with sharp teeth. How else would they describe it? Were they a slime, a vapor, though they had shapes and blemishes? Their mind made mental gymnastics trying to comprehend what they saw, though Rena Rouge was able to put a name to them.

"Shoggoths..." she heard her voice whimper. The two began to back away, their weapons still at the ready, as the hideous creatures began lumbering slobberingly towards them.


	7. Muddy

"She gets mad and she starts to cry/Takes a swing but she can't hit!/She don't mean to harm/She just don't know what else to do about it." – Perry Farrell

Queen Bee hit the tan earth below her with a thud, dust bursting forth from where her heels landed. As it settled around her, rising up to eye level, she cringed again and asked her herself what kind of situation in which she had gotten herself. Was hero life really for her?

"Yes," she heard herself say, "I am a hero. This is my purpose. I am not useless..."

She then aimed her flashlight down the tunnel immediately in front of her. There seemed to be a small sliver of water in the center of the walkway, but the rest was tan earth. The walls, however, were lined with graffiti she could not read, as the writing was absolutely horrid. She proceeded onward with some reluctance, as when she shined her light down the center of the hallway, she thought she saw a pair of two glowing eyes, as that of a deer's or a cat's when they hit the light. It was only a millisecond that she had this image before they were gone, a pitched blackness replacing them of which her flashlight could not penetrate. She took a breath and proceeded on.

She continued down the narrow passage for what felt like an eternity. After walking for five and a half minutes and seeing nothing but the same walls, it would feel like an eternity. But of course, she wished it had continued like that when she saw what faced her: a large puddle that extended down into what looked like a thick, muddy waterway.

It appeared Queen Bee had no choice but to swim through this narrow, murky passage to the other side.

That spa day she promised Sabrina earlier this evening couldn't come soon enough.

"This is ridiculous," she feebly muttered, "Utterly ridiculous. Come on, Chloe, you can do this. You love being a hero. In fact, you love being covered in mud, right?" She then took a deep breath, steeled herself, and dove into the brown depths. She had shut her eyes while moving forward but knew she couldn't see. Instinct told her to open them as she held the air in her lungs, and her flashlight could only illuminate so much as she could not see through the brown fog in front of her. She immediately regretted opening them as the fowl minerals stung her eyes.

But even while she swam forward, it wasn't just the ill sensations she was feeling, but there seemed to be a growing pain in her heart. It was like a recoiling snake that began to slither its way through her stomach and up through her heart; this growing sense of anxiety filled and thrilled her into trying to swim faster and get to the other side.

For a moment, she thought she saw what looked like a femur bone and a skull brush by her, causing hr to panic even further. She almost screamed but kept the air in her lungs and she darted even faster forward. In that same instance, she broke the surface of the water and emerged from the depths.

Queen Bee scrambled to the side of the passageway out of the wetness and slumped against the wall. This didn't temper the fact that this feeling of anxiety would not leave her. It continued to spread all the way through her nervous system and brain. Once there, she knew what she was thinking.

Still wet and covered in mud and dirt, she slumped down and held her knees, her back facing the wall, and rocked and sobbed. She was useless, utterly useless. What kind of hero was she that she would have caused so many problems for others? She stung that man on the train, and she caused Stormy Weather to come back for antagonizing Aurore. And she just knew she would never find true love; her childhood friend Adrien, who she had loved all these years, had forsaken her for Marinette. No one would ever love her romantically, because she was ugly, inside and out. Underneath all the makeup and expensive glamorous clothing, she was an ugly, horrid witch who treated everyone like garbage; and she was just now starting to see it. She had glimpsed what she thought before was unthinkable, but now her mind reeled with the fact that she was a wretched human being in all ways a person could be. And Marinette really was so much better than her at everything: she was pretty without makeup, she was much more talented in the ways of fashion, and she was popular because she was first and foremost kind to everyone. The only kindness she had learned was when her dad, Sabrina, or Jean-whatever (she still needed to learn his real name) bent over backwards to give her material things or serve her bidding. Otherwise, the only womanly figure in her life showed her the 'kindness' of abandoning her for New York, only to come back years later to try and rekindle whatever romantic feelings she had for her dad, if any.

She buried her head in her arms and wept, not only at her miserable existence but at the concept of existence and consciousness in general. And that it was nobody's fault but hers.

Queen Bee's Miraculous soon ran out of power, and she transformed back into Chloe, her clothes now dry, with Pollen quickly shaking off the water from herself. Pollen then floated over to Chloe's shoulder and put an empathetic paw on it.

"My queen," she sighed, "please don't cry. There's no reason your majesty should cry. I know you're feeling completely downtrodden right now, but these aren't your real feelings. Whatever Akuma is in these caverns, it's causing you to feel this way."

"Funny you should call me that," Chloe sobbed, "I don't feel very majestic. Pollen, you know that I'm awful, utterly awful. I've been awful to my so-called friends and servants, I've been awful to you, and I've been awful to my dad. Just...where and how am I majestic…?"

"Oh, my queen," Pollen smiled after a pause, "I'm glad that you don't put up a front with me, but I don't think that you understand. No one is truly awful, nor are they truly the perfection of moral goodness. Humans just are, and they are capable of so many different things, be it limitless compassion or unfathomable cruelty. You're looking at yourself right now, examining your past choices, and recognizing what they are and where they've lead you and others. That's really the first step to self-improvement. You have so much potential, my queen. You have a great aesthetic understanding, refined tastes, and a take-charge attitude. Yes, you may have issues with anger and rage, but you can hone that and focus it on that which really matters; you can turn that into something that's beneficial to your allies and dangerous to your enemies."

Pollen paused to catch her breath but also to see if her queen would have any reaction. Chloe looked up at her and stopped crying, wiping the tears from her eyes. At this, Pollen continued.

"You're a hero, my dear queen," Pollen continued, looking into her tear-stained eyes, "You're on equal grounds with Ladybug and her team. They wouldn't have asked you to do any of this if they didn't think you could handle it. Now, it is my place as your adviser to recommend that you get up, give me some nectar that I know you have in your pocket, and continue onward."

"You're..." Chloe hesitated but gradually stood to her feet, trying to fight whatever dark aura surrounded this place, "You're right, Pollen. We've gotta keep moving; Paris is counting on us." Chloe took another deep breath and sighed. She reached into her pocket and handed Pollen some nectar she kept in a small plastic bottle in her outer shirt pocket, and continued down the muddy pathway.

The two proceeded down the grimy hallway for several minutes, flashlight illuminating the way, when they came to what looked like a fork in the path. One lead straight ahead, pitch blackness awaiting there, while the other was to Chloe's surprise illuminated by candlelight. She hugged the wall at the corner, so that if there was someone...or something down the lit hallway, they wouldn't find her.

"Are you ready Pollen?" Chloe made a whispering rasp in frustration, "Seriously, it looks like you downed that whole bottle; I've only got two more after that. Maybe three, I dunno. Don't you know binge eating is so disgusting and uncouth?...I hope you liked it at least...I made sure to get the most expensive from the market."

"Yes, my Queen," Pollen whispered with a smile, "It was delicious."

"Then, buzz on," Chloe whispered, and Pollen flew to her Miraculous, transforming Chloe back to Queen Bee. She then rounded the corner, top at the ready, only to find nothing but more candles lining each side of the floor. They didn't seem to be in any particular pattern, though there were quite a few clustered together in close proximity to each other. She was surprised the wax wasn't melting faster from all the heat. If she was being honest with herself, though, Queen Bee liked the heat after having been out in the cold Autumn rain and diving through the muddy water.

She walked down the luminous hallway but soon noticed it became narrower and narrower as she moved on. She began to try to watch her step as she proceeded further, making sure not to step on any of the hot, waxy white candles. She began to notice weird symbols written on the walls. At first, she had thought it was normal gang graffiti, but she soon noticed it was definitely out of the ordinary. There were strange drawings: one looked like some small olive branch, another looked like a star with a small eye with a flame in its pupil, while others looked like strange tentacled masses that eventually turned into other larger, weirder shapes she wrote off as the crude, rough scribbling of someone with too much time on their filthy hands. She saw strange writing as well, in characters she could not place in any of her language arts or social studies school books, but eventually she did find something in common alphabetic script that she thought read 'Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn,' though it was indeed written very crudely and could have said something else. Kwamis lived for a long time; maybe Pollen would recognize it.

"Pollen, buzz off," and immediately Pollen flew from Chloe's hairpin, at which Chloe pointed at the wall and asked, "Can you tell me what that stupid nonsense says? It's definitely not French."

"No problem, your majesty," Pollen beamed with a large smile, but as she read it, her smile slowly started to fade. She looked around the room at the other writings as well, and her eyes began to widen even further than Chloe imagined they could on such a creature.

"My queen..." Pollen's tiny lips quivered as she found air to export these words, "...we have to get out of here."

"What?" Chloe shook her head in disbelief, "After that cliched but effective pep talk you gave me? What did all that junk say anyway?"

"I don't consider myself a coward," Pollen managed to mutter, "but please believe me when I say that at this point, we're in over our heads. I dare not repeat any of what I just read; it's...just too much, too dreadful. I dare not, I dare not speak. Turn your communicator back on and tell them you at least need to regroup. Maybe we'll survive if we're all together. But please, my queen, listen and believe me that we need to make a tactical retreat...right here and right now."

"Ugh!" Chloe growled, throwing up her hands and rolling her eyes, "That's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! You told me yourself if I can focus my anger, I'll be dangerous to my enemies. And right now, all my anger about losing Adrien to Marinette, about my past with my mom abandoning me and daddy, and absolutely all the hate I feel towards myself is focused directly beyond this hallway at the Akumatized villain who took all those people. And it's about to explode like a nuke reactor! Pollen, buzz on!" Pollen had no choice but to fly back into the Miraculous and turn Chloe back to Queen Bee.

She took a moment to breathe deeply and focus.

'Pollen's right, though,' Queen Bee immediately thought afterwards, 'I need to turn my communicator back on. Need to let the crew know where I am so they can teleport with that weird horse kwami thing that dares question how fabulous I am.'

She attempted to turn the communicator back on and say, "Hey, dorks. I think I'm getting close to something. Can you hear me?"

All she got back through the static was various raspy whispers, "Jam…...adar….why did you ki….have you seen…...fire walk with m…...I-I didn't know! Your father told yo…...shut the door, dear. You're letting out th…...Ia, Shub Ni...Shoggoth..."

"What's going on with this radio?" Queen Bee groaned as she pressed the button off, "Well, it is deep underground. Maybe I'll get better signal if I move."

She then proceeded beyond the small threshold into a surprisingly larger, open area, none of which she could see in the near pitch blackness. Upon stepping through the circular aperture beyond the narrow tunnel, she could feel her boots give way as she slid down a pile of ancient skulls that almost crumbled to dust upon touching them. Thankfully she kept her balance as she reached what she perceived to be the bottom. It felt like a large metal grating. She could hear what sounded like a distant, large fan oscillating to her left. She shined her flashlight around the room. The opposite wall appeared to likewise have bones stacked against it below what also looked like circular tunnels. The metal ceiling looked like it must have been about 40 to 50 feet high, though she couldn't really tell.

That's when she heard the crying.

Queen Bee whipped the flashlight over to the other end of the room and saw a figure slumped over atop another pile of bones. It looked as though this lump of a figure was writhing slowly. She began to approach the figure, making more detail out of it as she neared. Eventually, she could make out that it was indeed Lila Rossi, wearing a silk and satin rose madder dress, crying softly into her palms; she could tell it was her by the odd hairstyle she wore to school when she attended. But given what she had seen and the ominous feeling this place gave her, she began to question.

"L-Lila," she began, "I-is that you?"

"Queen Bee?" Lila turned to look at her, her mascara running down her face, "Oh, I'm soooo glad to see you. I-I-I-I was with some friends at a high class party and then I found myself walking along this railroad for some reason and then I found myself among some old bones and I-"

"It's okay," Queen Bee interrupted her, "Just...just relax, okay? You're with me now."

"Oh, believe me," Lila sniffled but seemed to perk up, "I'm so glad to have a superhero here with me. What do I call you anyway? Would you prefer Chloe or Queen Bee?"

"Ha!" Queen Bee chuckled, "Either one, I guess." Though if she were being honest, she would have preferred Queen Bee, as she felt like she had more of a purpose under this persona.

Still, in the back of her mind, she remembered what Rena...Alya had said to her. That Lila was a compulsive liar and not to trust her. She thought for a moment and quietly produced her battle top in one hand, ready to fight if Lila really wasn't who she said she was, while the opposite hand held the flashlight. Something didn't feel right, and she knew it. But she'd play along for now.

"Oh, but I'm so glad you found me," Lila grinned, "Who knows what was drawing me down here or where it was leading me? Perhaps we can find a way out of here? I think I remember the path my trance walk took me."

"Lead the way," Queen Bee replied, discreetly gripping her battle top tighter.

As they made their way through the opposite hole in the wall and proceeded down the likewise candlelit pathway, Queen Bee could see even more signs something was fishy. Why were the dress and heels Lila were wearing so clean? There was no way she would have made it down this far and still come out so pristine. What she couldn't see where the fact that Lila's hands were shaking as they walked and the fact that Lila was now wearing a smile from ear to ear as she walked through the shadows, her canine teeth growing into needle-like fangs.


	8. Eyes

As Marinette continued to walk the cavern with Adrien leading with a flashlight, she held her arms together and shivered. Whether if was the effect of being so far underground or the sense of dread from what they couldn't see from the light, she did not know, but the chill wouldn't relent.

How deep did the ancient Parisians make these? Were they going to reach the center of the Earth? At least it would have been warmer than where they were.

"I'm cold," Marinette whimpered.

Adrien then looked towards her out of the corner of his eye, still continuing his walk forward, and wrapped his arm around her.

"Warmer now?" he asked, giving a cat-like smirk.

"Yeah," she responded, immediately wrapping her arms around his midriff and squeezing him tightly. In spite of how hopeless she may have felt, she knew if she stayed close to him, all would be okay. Her cat, her prince, was her link back to sanity.

"Are you two ready back there?" Adrien asked over his shoulder to Tikki and Plagg.

"Just about," Plagg answered, savoring his last bit of cheese.

"Oh, come on, Plagg," Tikki groaned, having already finished her second macaroon, "Just finish up already! We need to be ready to fight this thing!"

"Ugh, alright, Sugar Cube," Plagg sighed, gulping down the last of his cheese, "Whenever you two are ready."

"Actually," Marinette interjected, still gripping Adrien tight for warmth, "I have an idea. Why don't you two scout ahead and see if you can find anything. Maybe if you're ahead of us, you can tell us where this thing is so we don't have to go on a wild goose chase."

"That's a good point, Marinette," Tikki beamed, "C'mon, Plagg. Let's see if we can spot...whatever this is." And with that, the two spirits zoomed down the corridor into the darkness, grabbing another smaller flashlight and looking down every nook and cranny they could for a sign of the thing.

"You know," Plagg stated when they were out of earshot of the humans, "I think she just said that for more alone time with Adrien."

"So what?" Tikki curtly replied, "We're still staying productive. Besides, I think they need each other to help them get past whatever aura of depression this thing is emitting."

Back down the corridor, Marinette loosened her grip on Adrien, but not completely.

"This whole situation seems so...hopeless," Marinette sniffled, "I mean, not just this mission, but being the Miraculous guardian in general. There's so much responsibility to it. But I'm glad you're here with me. I can't imagine Master Fu's life for myself, having to wait decades before being with the person he loved."

"Me, too, my Princess," Adrien leaned down and kissed the top of her head before continuing to walk down the darkened corridor, "I think if I had to wait any longer to find out who you were, it would have driven me nuts. After all, cats are naturally curious."

"Oh, I know, kitty," Marinette gave a short, nervous laugh, "I guess I'm spouting all these sweet, sentimental things right now because they're making me feel better. If I focus on anything else…"

"I understand, M'Lady," Adrien replied shortly with some apprehension in his breath, "I feel the same way. The deeper we go, the more I'm feeling...whatever this is. It's like it's made some sort of radioactive fallout in these caves, but with more of an effect on the soul rather than the body."

"So it's trying to turn Paris into a more spiritual Chernobyl?"

"Maybe," Adrien answered in apprehension. Neither spoke after this, only paused to wonder at the thought. All they could do is proceed onward as the tunnel made its way around to more of the same, the ancient skulls of the dead still lining the walls, looking down on them and judging them for all their present mistakes that they no doubt could have aided with their hindsight wisdom.

But something wasn't right, as the floors felt sticky as they stepped. Adrien shined his flashlight around at the bones, and it looked as thought the whole tunnel was lined with what looked like some wet, slimy residue, the substance dripping off each old bone to the ground with tiny squishy plops. But as they took a few steps further, there came a strong shudder over Marinette's body before she stopped walking with him and stood on her own, arms dangling to their sides.

"Uh, Marinette…" Adrien muttered.

"I see the end…" Marinette softly moaned, almost whispering, "And the end is Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos…drifting toward our universe..."

"M'Lady," Adrien shook his head, "What are you saying?"

"Whu-what?" Marinette likewise shook her head, "Sorry, Adrien. I think I started to drift off into some weird dream there."

Just then, from down the hallway, Adrien heard the sounds of yelping from the kwamis, seeing them flying towards them at great speed.

"Marinette, Adrien!" they heard Tikki shout, "Transform now! It's coming!"

"Uh, oh," Adrien reacted, his foot almost slipping on the sticky substance, "Better get ready, princess. Kaalki, are you ready, too?" He opened his bag to take out the horse Miraculous, of which Kaalki indignantly flew from.

"Huh, I suppose I am," Kaalki stuck her nose up, "But a simple warning would do well next time, young sir!"

"I'm sorry," Adrien shook his head, "But I'm going to join you and Plagg briefly. Plagg, claws out and unify!" With that, Adrien changed back to Pegasus Noir.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette shouted, quickly transforming her back to Ladybug.

The two then stood at the ready, prepared to greet whatever came to them. They ignored the sticky substance accumulating around their feet and stood staring into the darkness. There seemed to be a low hum, like that of someone mumbling something off in the distance. The hum grew closer every second, however, and Chat (or whatever he was called now; he didn't even know himself, so he would just call himself Chat for simplicity sake) thought he could see something moving off in the distance, which looked like two small glowing eyes.

Taking a risk, he quickly pressed the communicator in his ear and spoke softly, "Come in, guys. I think we found it. And I think it's looking at us. I can portal you here if you're ready." Unfortunately, however, he was met with only static. And it seemed that his speech drew whatever this thing was even closer. It now zoomed through the darkness towards them to the point where it was now about six feet from them, the musty smell of death and old, tattered rags and bones wafting in front of them.

The two red eyes paused for a moment before eventually rising roughly ten feet in the air. Ladybug and Chat both thought they heard some distant cacophony of whispering echoing through the tunnels, all the while whatever anxiety they felt increasing tenfold. Whatever it was stared at them in silence for a moment...before suddenly opening wide what looked like a cloak of darkness and letting out an ear piercing scream, the inside of the robe featuring many skeletal faces and arms reaching out to them!

Ladybug and Chat had seconds to react as the hands reached for them. Ladybug whacked them away with her yo-yo, while Chat batted them away with his quarterstaff. Ladybug likewise quickly reacted, leaped towards the sticky wall, and bounced off of it, hitting the thing in the head. This, thankfully, caused it to stagger and retract its shadowy cloak.

"Chat, I think the akuma is in the top skull!" she shouted to her prince, "It seems to be his weak spot!"

"Got it, M'Lady!" he replied, at which point he extended the staff and hit the top skull dead center between the two glowing eyes, causing the near incorporeal entity to stagger even further.

After getting hit a second time, a neon jagged butterfly mask appeared around its glowing eyes.

"Necromancer!" Hawkmoth's voice entered its mind's auditory senses, "You're stronger than this, much more powerful than they are! You can easily overcome these pathetic heroes with your dark powers! Do not hold back in your horrendousness!"

Necromancer, as this lower lifeform had named it, replied back in a loud, seemingly incoherent collection of screams and moans.

"I understand you want your revenge on the bloodlines that had buried you down here," Hawkmoth replied, having fully understood the entity, "And you shall have it! But first you will need to bring me the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Chat Noir!" At this the neon mask faded, and the spectral shadow flew towards the heroes once more.

It opened its "cloak" once more and tried to surround the room with screaming souls within it. Various hands reached for Ladybug and Chat, but they were ready for them. Both twirled their weapons and successfully deflected the bony grasps but knew they couldn't keep this up forever. They landed on the ground, and Chat quickly extended the staff and knocked the thing in the top skull once more.

"We need to call the others!" Ladybug shouted.

"Agreed," Chat nodded, "I'll call them and make a portal to them." He immediately turned on his communicator. "Hey, everyone! We found the akuma, and it's about to cause us a cat-tastrophe! Where are all of you? I can portal you here!"

*.*.*

A few minutes earlier, Rena Rouge and Carapace were preparing for the shoggoths' attack.

Rena immediately pulled out her flute, played a tune, and made multiple copies of herself at the other end of the tunnel.

"Yoohoo!" they called in unison, "Bet you can't catch us!" this caught the attention of one of the two shoggoth's attention as it quickly oozed its way towards the illusions and chased after them down the opposite corridor.

That solved the issue for one of them, but the other seemed dead set on zeroing in on the real heroes. With its speed and immensity, the gelatinous creature scrambled towards them and oozed out in every direction, fully ready to engulf them. The only thing Carapace could do was immediately through up his shield bubble which encased him and his girlfriend while the monstrosity fully surrounded said bubble in every direction.

Rena nearly let out a yelp when she saw multiple burning red eyes and teeth surrounding them in every direction. But she couldn't let that deter her, even if the situation looked hopeless. She looked over at her boyfriend, who looked over his shoulder as he held up the shield and smiled at her. Even in the face of nihilistic terror, they still had each other and would fight until the bitter end.

Just then, something came through the static of Rena's communicator. It was Chat's voice.

"Hey—we found—akuma-cause us—catastrophe—portal you here!" she could hear him say through the buzzing static.

"Go ahead, Chat," Rena responded, hoping and wishing as hard as she could he could hear her, "You called at just the right time. We're inside a shield bubble, but it won't hold forever." She tried to give him the best estimate of the latitude and longitude that she knew, but she wasn't sure that was right. She wanted to allow him to be able to open the portal at the right spot.

A second passed.

Too long a second, and in it, Carapace and Rena both began feeling immediate anxiety as the green shield began to crack in all directions. They could smell the shoggoth's fowl stench through each crack.

Suddenly, a portal opened in the middle of the bubble, and Chat (or rather Pegasus) Noir poked his head through. He beckoned them to come on, and the two jumped through to greet him and reorientate where they were.

"Glad you could make it!" Ladybug shouted as she continued to dart this way and that, fighting off long skeletal limbs as she jumped and leapt to get closer to the main skull. "It's in the top skull of the weird cloak thing." It was then that Ladybug realized something, that as she was fighting this thing, the more she moved to fight it, the less this weird wave of depression was affecting her.

"We wouldn't dare miss it," Rena smirked, and she and Carapace joined the fray. Chat realized he would need to get another portal out to Queen Bee so as to get her assistance as well.

"Divide!" Chat shouted, and Kaalki flew from the Miraculous.

"I'll of course need to recharge," she stated, shaking her head in exhaustion, "You wouldn't happen to have any oats, would you?"

"Sadly, no," Chat shrugged, "but I do have some cheese." He then produced some from his pack.

"'Twill suffice," Kaalki turned up her nose but still took the cheese and scarfed it down, "Alright, I'm prepared once more."

"Unify!" Chat shouted again, once again becoming Pegasus Noir. He then attempted to contact Queen Bee via the communicator.

*.*.*

Queen Bee and Lila had walked for what felt like a half hour, or perhaps it was longer. The musty smell continued to invade Queen's nostrils and intensified as they progressed, forcing her to steel herself and trudge through it. She just tried to picture when she was back at the hotel or at the spa with Sabrina and all the aromas that would be ten times better than anything down here.

As they walked, however, Queen felt as if the ground was becoming more sticky; it was the same feeling one might have gotten if they stepped on a tile floor after someone had spilled a sugary soda-pop. She just figured it was from some natural sap that had leaked from the roof of some unknown plant of which she was not familiar, that or some vandals or urban explorers had spilled soda all up and down the pathways.

Just then, after the long, uncomfortable yet uncharacteristic silence she had been experiencing with Lila, a call came in from her communicator.

"Que–Bee–Come i—We found the aku—need your he-," she heard Adrien's familiar, sweet voice say through the static, and she wondered if it was possible she would ever get over him.

"Chat Noir, I hear you," Queen Bee stated with a full, almost militant disposition, "Just portal me from about 5 kilometers west of the railway entrance...I'm guessing…"

Just then, Lila began to laugh, in a low, mischievous tone. Perhaps it was the surroundings or the aura of depression this akuma was giving off as Pollen had mentioned, but Lila's laughing gave Queen Bee an increased feeling of anxiety and dread.

"And what's so funny?" Queen Bee asked with a snarky but apprehensive tone.

"Oh, I was just thinking," Lila began, "about one of our past biology classes, namely about arachnids."

As Queen Bee was shining the light on Lila, the first thing she noticed being how immaculate and unsullied her rose madder dress still looked in spite of being down here. For whatever reason, and perhaps it was a trick of the low light and Queen's shaky hands, but she perceived that Lila's body was vibrating. It looked as though she were shaking, as if they had just been tossed into an Antarctic cave.

"The one that stuck out to me was the trapdoor spider," Lila still beamed in a cheerful, albeit creepy voice, "They don't build webs like most spiders do. Oh no, their methods are very different."

Queen Bee heard what sounded like several cracking noises coming from Lila, echoing across the inner walls of the cavern. Out of Lila's abdominal region sprouted large, spindly legs about 2 meters apiece, the same color as her dress.

"They actually secrete a sticky substance on the ground below their lair," Lila continued in a perky voice, "A kind of ground web if you will. And for them, it's all about the vibrations, you see."

Still, the bone cracking sound continued, and Queen Bee thought for a moment that the dress was possibly growing an old-timey bustle in the back of it. Or did this dress have a bustle the whole time? Either way, it looked weird on Lila, but not as weird as the extra long, thin legs. The bustle then seemed to grow larger and rounder, reminding her almost of the backside of a spider.

"And once the insect is trapped on that sticky ground web," Lila couldn't help but give another chuckle, "They'll spring up from their lair through a trapdoor of their own making and grab their meal."

At last, Lila turned around to face Queen Bee, and Queen's mind reeled at the shock of seeing her. She had four round, black, soulless eyes that seemed to pierce into her very being. Her canines had overgrown her mouth and now framed it as much smaller by comparison, looking fully ready to bite and drain anything near her.

"And I felt your vibrations down the tunnel a mile away, my little bee," Lila, or the gargantuan spider that had once looked like Lila, hissed. Queen Bee was stunned, not knowing what to say or do at this hideous monstrosity as her eyes were locked onto hers. She then held its clawed hand to her chin. "But you know, I've thought again. What's another natural enemy to the honeybee? The wasp." The Lila spider thing then raised her hand to the air, snapped her clawed fingers, and several enormous, glowing, ghostly wasps appeared in a circle around her bulbous body. "More fitting that these would be the ones to attack you, as the wasp was another persona you had taken at one time."

The spectral wasps flew towards her, but Queen Bee felt too petrified to move. She did shift slightly, but it felt as though her feet were indeed stuck to the substance on the floor. She wanted to fight, to punch and kick these things away from her or hurl her battle top at them, but at the same time she wanted to run away and cower from the surreal and horrid scene before her.

She could, however, do neither. She just stood there, staring as the phantasmal stingers flew nearer and nearer.

Suddenly, a portal opened behind her, and Chat grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled her through the aperture. It then closed before the hornets could reach it, hitting the opposite wall and dissipating into a blue dust before vanishing.

The Lila Spider then snapped her claws together, as one might snap their fingers, and in a puff of smoke, she had turned back into human Lila, only this time revealing that her dress was indeed somewhat dirty having been down in the caverns for several hours.

"Oh, silly Chloe," Lila laughed and addressed the empty tunnel, "Don't you know that it's all a grand illusion? And deep inside we're all the same...all of us equally rotten, including your friend Ladybug?"

*.*.*

On the other side of the portal, Queen Bee had shifted around to see what had grabbed her. It was of course Chat, and upon seeing him and resting in his arms after having caught her from the fall through the tear in space, she didn't want him to let go. All she could do was look up into his eyes, not wanting to move or to break away from him...or all the feelings of childhood affection she had built towards him for more than a decade.

Looking up into his eyes, with him asking if she was okay, it was as if the world were moving in slow motion. She couldn't answer, only stare up at him, still recovering from the dark eyes of the Lila spider and still absorbing the comfort of his arms.

But then she heard Marinette's voice behind him in the distance, almost muffled from her focus on those deep green eyes that were so similar to the ones without the mask.

"Chat Noir," she thought she heard the Dupain-Cheng girl shout from the opposite wall, "I need your help!" With that, Chat turned his gaze towards Ladybug and released Queen Bee, leaving her alone in yet another darkened corridor. She thought she saw Rena Rouge and Carapace fly past her, but she wasn't really paying attention.

She then turned her head towards what was now making this low, guttural howling sound and found its source. It was the Akumatized villain, which instantly brought to her mind images of the legendary Grim Reaper, also known as Time, as he is depicted in ancient medieval artwork. She looked up towards the head of this thing, and seeing that it likewise had black holes for eyes, felt the same shocking chill once more, and all those, fears, insecurities, and nagging feelings of helplessness and worthlessness followed with it.


	9. Amygdala

"The physical symptoms of fight or flight are what the human body has learned over thousands of years to operate efficiently and at the highest level…anxiety is a cognitive interpretation of that physical response." — John Eliot, Ph.D.

Queen Bee stood in the center of the tunnel, looking upwards at the gargantuan Akumatized horror known as Necromancer. Her mind reeled back and forth as she watched the skeletal faces and hands writhe within its shadowy cloak. At the very top was another skull of whose eyes flashed a fiery red gleam before fading back into the soulless sockets as the rest of the ancient bones that surrounded them.

The world and time seemed to slow to a snail's pace, and it felt like she was living in the split second of a car crash. She heard the Dupain-Cheng girl yell something about "Lucky Charm!" to her left, though it may as well have been ten miles away, followed by, "A redwood board? What am I going to do with this?" She barely noticed Rena Rouge and Carapace battling against the long skeletal arms reaching out for them, while Chat Noir defended Ladybug while she tried to figure out what to do with the random item her ability gave her.

Queen Bee felt as though her heart were sinking further beyond her stomach and into the floor. She said she was okay with whoever Adrien had dated, but was she really okay? She looked down at her shaking hand that was now instinctively gripping her battle top tightly to the point where she felt like she could break it.

Looking back up at the creature, she recalled the few stories she heard of people going mad with fright of seeing things beyond human comprehension, such things that did not belong on this plane of existence and were not meant for human comprehension. But she briefly glanced around at the other heroes, who seemed to have no trouble doing battle with this thing. So, what was wrong with her?

This wasn't fear she was feeling as she gazed upon the hideous entity; it was rage.

Her entire life, she had material wealth given to her on a silver platter, but the only person who ever supplied what she needed was Adrien, who she bonded with in their equal alienation from their families (and from society at large). It was only natural that she had developed romantic feelings for him, but now those feelings had been dashed like a sandcastle against a massive wave on an incoming tide. Her mother, who was meant to be the most influential feminine figure of her life, rejected her when she separated from the family and moved to New York. Her dad was completely inept, and she questioned whether or not Sabrina was her true friend or if she simply felt sorry for her and agreed to try to meet whatever shallow need she demanded. No, she wouldn't let herself think that; Sabrina was still a friend, despite the fact that she still felt very alone in the world.

As she gripped the yellow top tighter and tighter, glancing up at the nightmarish Akumatized beast, she thought further in depth about this. Where was her life going? To what did her life amount? Was she just going on a tram to school and demanding attention for attention's sake, or did she really want to leave some larger mark in the world with others remembering her for what she gave to her daddy's beloved city?

Queen Bee…no, she was Chloe (they were all still individuals by the end of the day, no matter if they wore a hero's mask or not) truly understood now that there was purpose in everyone, including her. Her lungs drew breath, her brain emitted impulses, and her senses allowed her to perceive the world around her. She indeed had the blessed gift of consciousness and would use her time as the heroine known as Queen Bee to make her mark on Paris. It couldn't be for nothing.

Her mind told her once more: she was not useless.

She looked back once more at the massive ghastly wraith and saw how hard everyone was fighting the multiple bony arms that emerged from its shadowy cloak. Rena and Carapace seemed to be holding their own, though getting no closer to the thing's head, while Chat defended Ladybug while she studied her surroundings in order to figure out how to use the Lucky Charm item. It seemed as though Chat was getting exhausted, as unifying two kwamis was taking its toll on him.

Seeing those two together again, however, and knowing the two were in a love that she could never share caused her anxiety to increase tenfold.

She was angry at Marinette for stealing Adrien from her (although she knew deep down she shouldn't be), she was angry at her mother for forsaking her for so many long years, and she was angry at herself for how badly she treated those people who were supposed to be her friends and family. Whether this was coming from her or the anxiety aura this particular Akuma had didn't matter; it was still a feeling of agitation of spirit that was slowly growing within her. And she took all that anger and directed it right towards the horrid phantasm.

"I'm sorry, Pollen…Sabrina…Daddy…" she breathed to herself, "I'm sorry for what I am. Sorry I couldn't be better."

With all of that, she let out one loud, long, and absolute scream of despair and fury. It reverberated through the halls with a chilling echo. It was so loud that it caused the four heroes and even the monster to stop whatever they were doing and stare at her. Hawkmoth, having heard this through his connection to the monster, instinctively covered his ears and reeled back a step.

"Dude," Carapace muttered after a momentary silence, "I bet you could hear that from space."

Queen Bee then charged forward in her ire, gritting her teeth and twirling her battle top, and the battle recommenced. She lividly knocked away the arms that were reaching out towards her but then ducked in front of Carapace and Rena to knock away the additional arms reaching towards them, leaving the two of them in shock at how quickly she came to assist them. She then darted the opposite direction and knocked away three more arms that were about to reach for an exhausted Chat who was barely holding himself up by leaning on his quarterstaff. Before he had a chance to react, she darted passed him and ran straight for Ladybug.

Ladybug was still piecing together how to use the wooden plank but only had a microsecond to react as she saw the angry bee woman running towards her. And in that microsecond, she knew what to do. She ducked down and held the wooden plank at an angle beneath her. Queen Bee then stepped up onto the plank and spun 180 degrees on her heels, allowing Ladybug to then press upward and launch her into the air towards the monster's head.

"VENOM!" Queen Bee growled, allowing the pulsing stinger to appear in her hand. There was a brief moment when the top skull's eyes glowed red and stared into her own. No matter how frightening this thing looked, she wouldn't let it get to her. It had to be stopped, and she was about to punch its lights out. She then stung the skull and in the same gesture, did a flip in the air and kicked the monster in the back of its "head," sending it toppling to the ground like a wax figure instead the billowing cloaked wraith it was a few seconds ago. (A/N: I'm running out of spooky adjectives. The thesaurus can only get you so far)

When Queen Bee landed, she reached out, grabbed Chat's wrist, and pulled him forward.

"Say it," she growled.

"Say…what?" Chat could definitely feel the full strain of both Miraculouses now, also noting his old

"SAY IT!" she screeched shrilly.

"Oh, right!" he finally caught on, "CATACLYSM!" And his hand charged up with the dark energy. She then slammed his hand onto the top skull, causing it to crack and releasing the butterfly. In almost the same instance, the Miraculous ran out out of power, and Chloe collapsed on the dusty floor.

Pollen rubbed her head, feeling drained of power herself, but she then noticed Chloe on the ground. Rena and Carapace ran over to pull her up and move her out of the way while Chat finally disconnected from the Horse Miraculous and pocketed it. They then propped her up on the far wall, but she regained some energy to pull herself into a ball.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked, "You put all your energy into that."

"I'd just had enough of everything," Chloe sobbed, burying her head in her arms, "Hawkmoth already knows who I am; I don't even care anymore. My life is ridiculous…utterly ridiculous."

"Okay, watch her," Ladybug patted Rena on the shoulder, who smiled pleasantly before giving their former bully a hug around the shoulders, "Time to de-evilize!" Ladybug then launched her yo-yo into the air and captured the butterfly. "Gotcha!" she then released the small glowing white butterfly from the yo-yo and told it goodbye. She then shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!" while tossing the item into the air.

The colors and lights from the airborne charm then swirled around them, and in the next instant, the heroes found themselves on the cold, wet grass of the Place des Vosges. Though there seemed to be some light in the sky, it was still fairly dark. The team looked around and saw no one in the vicinity.

"I think we're safe to power down," Ladybug stated as she changed back to Marinette. The rest of her crew changed back as well. "It seems it brought us back to the city, and I'm guessing all the missing people are going to be returned as well." But just as they transformed back to their normal selves, they did indeed notice someone was there, though he was floating roughly 7 feet above the ground. It was a shadowy figure who looked as though he were wearing ragged noble wear from the 1780's. They could not see his face, but they knew he was looking at them. He spoke no word but simply gazed down at them with an uncertain demeanor. Was he benevolent, malevolent, or just curious? The sound of distant thunder behind it only added to how unsettling the situation was.

"You must have been the one Akumatized," Marinette spoke to the floating figure, "I know you must feel very upset about being misplaced from the rest of your family, but its been a very long time. Your struggles did not go unnoticed either. Modern Parisians have rebuilt these catacombs in honor of all who passed away from that awful sickness."

"And we consider it an important part of history, albeit a dark time that our city endured and survived," Adrien interjected, "And as far as it runs, you could say the entire city of Paris is hallowed ground."

"It's okay to be angry," Chloe raised her head from her folded arms, her eyes still misty, "I've been angry a lot because of this and that…but I'm starting to learn that anger, loneliness, and sadness are just parts of life. And while it may be hard, we need to channel those negative feelings and deal with whatever ridiculous problem comes our way."

"You had a family in life, didn't you?" Marinette asked, to which the spirit nodded, "I really doubt they'd want you holding on to this anger and sadness you must be feeling."

"I think that's what's keeping you here," Alya chimed in, "If you can let yourself let go of those feelings, maybe you can move on? I have a feeling they're waiting for you, and I'm sure you want to see them again…"

"Whatta ya say, dude?" Nino smiled, "Think you're ready to move on?"

The specter floated there for several minutes. He made no motion or sound, but it was evident he was thinking about what the heroes had just said. Finally, he nodded slowly, the heroes still unable to see his face, but the message was clear. And in an instant, the figure faded into a burst of blue light and was gone as another sound of thunder distantly rolled.

"Look," Adrien said while putting his hand gently on Marinette's shoulder, "The clouds are parting." The group, humans and kwamis alike looked up to the sky as well. Sure enough, the dark nimbus blanket that had covered the sky for nearly a week began to part and dissipate as the autumn winds continued to lightly blow. Marinette held the hand Adrien had placed on her should as they could see a faint light over the tops of the buildings to the east, a new day was dawning on the city they had once again saved.

AN: One more chapter and an epilogue to go.


	10. Closure

"You're not the only one/With mixed emotions/You're not the only ship/Adrift on this ocean." – The Rolling Stones

"Well that's a relief," Marinette sighed, looking down at the messages on her phone while silently relishing the fact that Adrien had wrapped his arm around her, "Luka says he, Kagami, and Juleka reappeared at the skating rink." She then laughed. "He says they ended up falling on their butts since they were teleported back on the ice."

"Well at least they're okay," Adrien responded, "No buts about it."

"I think that pun only works in an English translation of this show, kitty," Marinette giggled, recognizing there was a fourth wall somewhere that was about to topple.

The group had moved to a less conspicuous area of the park. They now stood under the shade of a red and gold tree, Chloe being the one exception, curling back into a ball with her back against the tree trunk and remaining unusually quiet.

"Well, I'm really hoping it sent those shoggoths back to Antarctica," Alya breathed, widening her eyes, "Those things have no business being in the Paris sewers."

"Shog-what?" Adrien asked.

"Shoggoths," Alya replied, "According to Miskatonic Library's lore, they were servants of some sort of ancient group of aliens that came to earth millions of years ago before getting frozen in ice."

"Big ugly monsters, dude," Nino replied, "They were like big blobs of black jello with tentacles, mouths, and eyes. Real nasty things. And thanks for pulling us out of there, man."

"Heh, anytime," Adrien smiled, "I really had no idea what was going on there."

"I wonder how they in any way related to the Akuma we fought," Marinette thought for a moment, "I didn't think it could summon any sort of monsters beyond the skeletons in its cloak. For that matter, I stepped in this sticky substance that gave me some weird visions of this monster named Nyar-…Nier-…Narly? Whatever it was, it was weird."

"Sounds like ectoplasm to me," Alya replied, "That stuff can vary in its properties, supposedly. Negatively charged, it can produce some very bad results."

"And I heard some loud thumping down nearly every corridor," Adrien added, "It was like someone was thrashing the walls with a cannon ball."

"I think there are some evil things down there," Alya continued, "and for that matter everywhere, that are older than Hawkmoth or anything the Miraculouses could cause. This world is full of secrets and dangers, and not all of them meet our level of understanding yet."

"What about you, Chloe?" Adrien turned his attention to his childhood friend, who was still creepily quiet about the situation, "Did you see anything strange down there?"

Chloe's mind turned to the monstrous spider into which Lila had transformed, if that really was Lila at all. She thought again about the large ghostly wasps and about the dream she had before embarking on this mission with the Miraculous group. She closed her eyes tight and shook her head.

"Ha, nothing at all," Chloe finally scoffed, turning up her nose sideways and waving her hand in a dismissive manner, "It was just a bunch of mud and dust. Very droll and gross. Next mission, give me something more interesting to do."

"There's our Chloe," Marinette smiled, "I think she's back to herself again."

"I guess that's a good thing you didn't see anything," Alya said.

"But, Alya," Marinette turned her attention back to her best friend, "I haven't heard you talk about the paranormal this much. I knew you were in to ancient cultures, art, and history, but where did all this knowledge come from?"

"Well," Alya sighed, "I told Nino, but I know I should have told you as well. I'm going to be studying anthropology at Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts after graduation. Don't worry, I'll come back in the summer, and we can talk over Skype. This is the information age after all."

"That's…a little shocking," Marinette replied, "But I'm happy you found a good school. We'll definitely miss hanging out with you…"

"And I thought more about it while we were down in that endless looping hall thing," Nino interjected, "And no matter where you go, I'll do what I can to follow."

"Oh, Nino," Alya smiled, "I can't ask you to do that. You've got your own life to live, your own directions to take. It would be selfish of me to ask you to do that."

"Nah, girl," Nino took her hand, "My place is with you, wherever you go. I don't know what craziness is over there in Arkham, but I want to be the turtle shell that protects you, my fox princess. If I need to, I'll start up a DJ business over there while applying to a trade school."

"I would love that, my turtle boy," Alya kissed him on the cheek, "We'll see what the next year holds for us and make our plans for it."

"Aww," Marinette swooned, "you too are so cute!"

"Okay, you two," Alya addressed Marinette and Adrien, "Don't you two have your first real date to plan?"

"Don't worry," Adrien winked an eye, "I know quite a few good restaurants to take her."

"I'm sure you do, cat boy," Alya smiled, "Just don't forget to give Marinette your best because she deserves it."

"Of course not," Adrien laughed before spinning Marinette around in his arms before stopping to look her in the eyes and softly asking her, "Can I kiss you, my princess?"

"Yes…please," Marinette answered nervously, "Although I'm still a little embarrassed in public."

"Oh come on," Alya rolled her eyes, "It'll be cute!"

With that Adrien dipped her down and kissed her deeply. Alya of course quickly snapped a picture with her phone.

While the friends were discussing all this and enjoying themselves, Chloe still sat in silent reflection on all of this. Her eyes darted this way and that across the park, at the green grass, at the red and gold leaves of the trees, at the merry-go-round that had not yet been given power. All the while, the autumn breeze and the new morning sun washed over her.

"You didn't want to tell them what you saw down there?" Pollen asked her with a genuine concern in her voice, poking her head out of the lapel of Chloe's coat in order to keep hidden, which was of course both practical and fashionable for the time of the season. (Chloe of course would accept nothing less than the best in any time of the year)

"No, Pollen," Chloe breathed and paused a moment before continuing, "I…I don't even know how to say what I'm thinking after all that. But I do know that I need to say that I'm sorry to you. You…you were trying to warn me down there, and I just let my fury take over. And when I faced the monster down there, I just froze. You were right about everything. That was too much for me to handle on my own."

"My queen," Pollen eventually answered warmly, "thank you for that, but I understand this hero business is a learning experience for you. Just know that the best rulers listen to their advisors and take heed of their input. I still believe in you and that you have both a good heart and the makings of a true hero."

Chloe took in a deep breath, fully sensitive to the the feeling of her lungs expanding, before expelling all the stress-filled air as the cool air wafted over her. She looked at the people slowly coming in to the park for the early morning, the coworkers chatting over coffee before heading to the office for some weekend work, the kids riding their bikes up to the fence before heading in to play some makeshift game of soccer, the couples having a sit on the bench to watch the sunrise.

"But tell me, Pollen," Chloe began, "Am I really the hero Paris needs? Snapping and making coarse remarks is second nature to me. And then when the danger finally came my way, I froze and then freaked out."

"But you ended up defeating the villain," Pollen reminded her, "You took my advice, channelled your anger, and focused in on fighting for the right reason. I think you're braver than you know."

"But is it possible that I could revert back to being that awful person I've been for so long?" Chloe asked, "Am I the honeybee or the wasp?"

"Well, my queen," Pollen answered, "I think that's up to you to decide."

"Maybe I'm just not there yet," Chloe muttered, her heart sinking, "Until I am, maybe I shouldn't be a Miraculous user. I'll miss working with you, Pollen." As she said this she thought she heard Marinette saying to the group to go on ahead and that she would catch up later.

"Very well, your highness," Pollen sighed, and for a moment, she thought she was about to cry, "It's been an honor serving you."

And just then, Chloe turned her head again and jolted and yelped when she saw Marinette sitting in front of her to be at face level.

"Hey," Marinette calmly said, "I wanted to come check on you to make sure you're okay. If there's something that-"

"Dupain-Cheng," Chloe curtly cut her off, "We need to talk."

Chloe then dragged Marinette by the wrist and dragged her to a nearby alleyway. Marinette was stumbling over her own feet trying to keep up with Chloe's deliberate pace until they suddenly stopped. Chloe looked around and made sure no one could see them or was heading their way.

"What's this about?" Marinette asked nervously.

"Look," Chloe breathed heavily again, "You and I haven't gotten along, but I'm starting to realize that's partly because of…how I am. I get it now. I know I haven't been the nicest of people, and that's something I know I'm going to need to change if I'm going to be a hero. You said you wouldn't let me be a hero again, and that really hurt at the time, but maybe that was supposed to be a wakeup call to me. Maybe I need to be a better Chloe before I can be a better Queen Bee."

"You're making progress, Chloe," Marinette responded, "Recognizing that there needs to be improvement is progress."

"Maybe," Chloe felt herself beginning to well up but tried to resist, "but until that time…" She then lifted her arms and removed the Bee Miraculous from her hair and then held it out to Marinette. "…maybe I shouldn't be a superhero."

Marinette was taken aback. She didn't expect this from Chloe at all. This girl who used to be so arrogant, prideful, and haughty was now blossoming up to her about her insecurities and humbling herself enough to give back the thing she had coveted most over the past year.

Before Marinette could respond, Chloe continued.

"It's just that I felt more alive when I was Queen Bee. I felt like I mattered, like this could be a new purpose and a chance for me to show that I can be amazing, too. I've looked down on people for so long, but doing this gave me a chance to help them. And in that role, I feel like I need to change how I view others. I've made some terrible mistakes as Queen Bee. And if that means having to give up on this…"

"It's okay, Chloe," Marinette took the hand that was holding the Miraculous and closed Chloe's fingers around it, "Let me say that as Ladybug, I've made quite a few mistakes as well. It's a learning experience. And I think one of those mistakes is not communicating with you and being honest with how we feel and what we should do if heroes, both with masks and without. I think there's a good person still in you, Chloe. I think at the end of the day, you still want to do the right thing."

"But…I lied earlier," Chloe interrupted, "I did see something down there…something horrible. But I just froze. I was just too scared to even move when I saw it."

"But then you also took down the monster and saved Paris," Marinette said, "Bravery is something we all need to develop. It's not about suppressing your fear; it's about going and facing the danger despite the fact that you're afraid. And you proved that you can do this.

Marinette paused for a moment and switched gears.

"And being the new Miraculous guardian," she continued, "I've made some new decisions. Maybe it's not a bad idea to let others hold on to them, in case one of us is out of commission or akumatized, and that can include me, then the others will step in and do what they can to help. And Chloe, I'm going to let you keep watch of the Bee Miraculous."

"Really?" Chloe felt her heart flutter with excitement. She looked over at Pollen who was floating next to her, and both saw the other's smile widen.

"Really," Marinette likewise smiled, "I'm letting Alya and Nino keep watch of theirs for now. I trust them not to abuse their power or let them fall into the wrong hands. And now I have to ask you: can I trust you to do the same?"

"Yes, Lad—I mean Dup—I mean Marinette," Chloe stammered, "Are we on first name bases yet?"

"We can be," Marinette beamed.

And with that, Chloe threw her arms around her former rival's neck, repeating "Thank you!" over and over again.

"I still feel like I don't have many friends," Chloe backed off for a moment, "I still have Sabrina, but I feel like I haven't been that great a friend to her. And now that you and Adrien are dating, I'm worried he and I won't spend time together either."

"We'll be your friends, Chloe," Marinette replied, "We both just need to learn how to be better friends."

"But it comes so natural to you," Chloe said, "I just tend to see the negative in others. It's just second nature to me."

"That's not always a bad thing," Marinette made a light shrug, "You're able to call a person out if they're being awful and can be critical of those aspects that need improvement. Maybe you just need a change in perspective of how you approach that." She then took out her phone and texted Chloe a number. "Here. This guy helped me through some rough patches and gave me a different perspective on a few things. Maybe he can help you, too."

Chloe looked down at the number. It was a blue-haired boy named Luka.

"Is he that cute guitar guy with the grungy clothes?" Chloe asked, a number of emotions swirling in her.

"…The same," Marinette smirked and gave Chloe a wink, "I'll let him know you might be calling him sometime. Feel free to talk to him about anything; I don't think you'll regret it. Oh, and I know it's not really a French thing, if you're a traditionalist, but my parents agreed to help host a Halloween/All Saints Eve party this coming week; any excuse to bring all my friends together, I'll gladly do it. You're invited if you'd like to come. Gotta run." Marinette then waved goodbye and ran off to join the others.

"Isn't that great news?" Pollen asked with some joy, flying around to look Chloe in the eye, "We don't have to say goodbye after all, my queen!"

"Ha, of course," Chloe laughed, "It was only a matter of time before Ladybug recognized how great I could be! But yes, I'm glad you're still here, too." She then rubbed the top of Pollen's head with two fingers. Pollen of course enjoyed this, feeling the warm pressure pass between her antenna.

Chloe then looked back down at her phone. She was about to save this Luka guy's number when she received a call. It was Sabrina.

"Chloe?!" Sabrina cried as Chloe answered, "I'm so happy right now! Dad reappeared and gave me a huge hug when he came back! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you for helping to save him."

"Ha, of course I did," Chloe chuckled, "Was there ever any doubt that I would save Paris once again…But yes, it was a group effort. Ladybug and her group helped…a little."

"But, oooh," Sabrina swooned, "I'm really looking forward to our spa day together."

"After all that hero work," Chloe rolled her eyes, "I could definitely use it."

"And I know you said you'd let me play the boss that day," Sabrina followed, "But really, I've got only one thing to ask of you."

"And what could that be?" Chloe sighed.

"I know that part of you is still upset about Adrien," Sabrina continued, "But for our day out, let's forget about guys. We should enjoy ourselves without worrying about any heartaches or any looming dread from Hawkmoth. Just have a day for us girls."

"…Alright," Chloe smirked, "I think I can manage that. And trust me, you'll love this place I'm taking us."

"I'm sure I will, Chloe," Sabrina replied cheerfully, "You always have such amazing taste!"

The two said their goodbyes and hung up. The screen came back to displaying Luka's number. She thought for a moment, about what Ladybug had said, about her upcoming spa day with Sabrina, and the Halloween party at Marinette's. She knew, if she were to make friends, or if she were to ever find a boyfriend, she couldn't force them to like her; she would need to become worthy of being loved. And that would need to start with her. Still, she decided to save Luka's number; she'd call him later when she had the chance.

*.*.*

Later that night, Ladybug landed on top of a roof, having finished her patrol of the city. She looked over the top of the city at the lights below, all of them indication of the teeming life of the city. These were her citizens, and protecting them gave her such joy every day.

"Hey there, bugaboo!" Chat chimed as he landed next to her on the edge of the roof, "Find anything interesting?"

"Pretty slow night, kitty," Ladybug giggled and kissed him, "I pulled a kid out of the street before a passing car might have hit him. What about you?"

"Rescued one of my fellow felines from a tree," Chat grinned widely, "But other than that, it's a pretty peaceful night in the City of Lights."

"Well, I was hoping we could talk," Ladybug looked down off the roof, but she wasn't really looking at the ground, "Do you think what we did was right? I mean, revealing our identities to each other?"

"We were going to find out eventually," Chat sighed, walking towards her and wrapping his arm around her waist, "The longer we would have done this, the more likely it would come out eventually. And really, it's not a bad thing. We can at least know when the other is in danger and act on it."

"You're right," Ladybug replied wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest, "I mean, Bunnix hasn't popped up out of nowhere to tell us we're in the wrong timeline or something crazy like that. And this is kind of related, but I do think one of our biggest problems has been our lack of communication and honesty with each other."

"No more secrets between us?" Chat asked.

"No more," Ladybug answered, squeezing him a little tighter, getting enraptured by the smell of his costume, "I'm glad I know. And I'm glad it was you, my prince."

"I'm glad it was you, princess," Chat responded and kissed the top of her head.

"But I'm a little worried," Ladybug shifted gears, backing away slightly to look up at him, "Does your father know we're dating? What if he doesn't like me?"

"He does actually," Chat laughed, "And no, he doesn't hate you at all. He actually seemed pretty happy about it; he remembered all the designs you made and the times where you aided in his fashion shows. In fact, he said he would like to meet with you sometime soon to try and get to know you a little more."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ladybug heaved a sigh of relief, "So nothing else to worry about?"

"Nothing else, bugaboo," Chat then moved slowly around behind her and wrapped both arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulders, "Let's just enjoy this momentary break before we continue our patrol."

"Of course my sweet prince," Ladybug swooned as Chat kissed her cheek. As he did, she looked out over the lights of the city, how all the tiny yellow and white lights danced against the dark shadows the night had brought; the Eiffel Tower was the perfect centerpiece to it all, the very icon of what many called the City of Love. She then turned her head to kiss her prince once more, and as she shut her eyes, the lights of the city slowly began to blur and fade to nothingness as soon as their lips met.

**A/N: Epilogue pending soon!**


	11. Epilogue Secret Meetings

"Realisant mon espoir/Je me lance, vers la gloire, OK/[…]We're all vain, and we're all blind/I hate people when they're not polite." — Talking Heads

"Necromancer was one of my greater creations in some time," Gabriel sighed, holding his head in his hands as he lounged in his easy chair, "I'm just wondering if I'm ever going to find the perfect creation that can capture the Miraculouses."

"It took five heroes to stop him," Natalie remind him while reaching out to rub his shoulders, "I believe we're improving, but I don't believe we're ever going to reach perfection. There's an old saying that, 'Everything is perfect in its imperfection.' What we can do is find what works and what doesn't; we can come up with so many creative operations for this. And there are plenty of people throughout Paris that succumb to negative emotions every day."

"Indeed," Gabriel nodded and reached up to grab one of her hands, "And this recent event proved we can take possession of dead souls as well, provided the negative energy is strong enough. But maybe I've been going about this all wrong from the beginning."

"What do you mean, sir?" Natalie asked, turning her neck and leaning forward to look him in the face.

"I mean that perhaps continually creating these new 'super villains' as the public labels them," Gabriel continued, "has been the wrong approach. They're bombastic, vulgar, and too obvious when they make their appearance. Perhaps we should take a more subtle approach to all this."

"Not a bad idea, sir," she began rubbing her fingers with his with the hand he'd grabbed, "I have some questions of my own, if I may." There was a pause, signaling Gabriel was listening to what she had to say. "There's a part of me that's wondering what will happen to me when Emilie finally does return. I'm sure you've picked up on how I feel towards you."

"I will say that I have," Gabriel replied, "And there's a part of me that wants to address it as well. You've always been devoted to us through the years. Even back in our grade school days, you've always been close to us. If things had been different—" He paused; he knew he didn't want to say anything further. "But I am still holding that there is indeed a way to revive my wife. If there is a way to restore her from the damage the Peacock Miraculous has done, then we have to try."

"And as always, I will respect and support your desires," Natalie nodded slowly, closing her eyes and taking a slow breath, "I just wish that…I'm just hoping that perhaps if there is no way to revive her, you would consider falling in love with me. You've been alone for too long, and it pains me to see you go through this. I know very well Emilie wouldn't want you to suffer like this and would probably approve if it was me who…I won't say I can replace her; that wouldn't be true. But I believe she would have wanted me to return romance and companionship to your life."

"Natalie, I…" Gabriel breathed. The two looked into each others eyes for a moment before slowly moving towards each other, their lips ready to touch.

This moment came to an end, however, when they heard the door open and backed away from each other.

"I almost had her," Lila grumbled, walking through the door to the study, the Gorilla escorting her close behind, "I almost had Queen Bee neutralized. She was right there in my trap."

"Worry not, Lila," Gabriel shook his head and instinctively straightened his tie, trying to regain some composure from the previous moment, "We simply underestimated their ability to combine Miraculouses. We'll be prepared next time."

"And when might that be?" Lila asked, "You asked me here for a reason."

"Yes, of course," Gabriel switched gears, "I'm sure you're aware my son is now dating a classmate of yours, Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Much to my irritation," Lila rolled her eyes, "That girl is an eyesore."

"But she's a very talented designer," Gabriel pointed his finger at her as if to correct her in some way, "She's been one of my best amateur contributors, at least for several of the Agreste fashion shows. And she does have some good history and chemistry with my son. She could be a tremendous asset to us."

"You've got a point?" Lila asked.

"Yes," Gabriel chose to ignore her negative attitude for now, "I know very well that she also works fairly closely with Ladybug and gives her support as well. What I would like for you to do is try and get back in her good graces and find out what she knows, whatever way you can. I'm planning on also having my own discussion with her and possibly revealing the truth about Emilie as well. My new approach will be reason rather than the blatant violence we've shown Paris over the last year and a half."

"I don't think that girl can be reasoned with," Lila stammered, "She's such a short-sighted ditz. She's got the whole school fooled with this nice, innocent act, but she's just as selfish as everyone else. And her school marks are less than desirable, to give you some indication of her intelligence. I doubt she'll be any help if you try and bring her into our little group."

Gabriel knew most of what Lila was saying was a blatant lie, but he chose likewise to ignore it.

"Now, now, Lila," he responded, "Surely you of all people should know that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Now, I'm sure you can find some way to convince Marinette you're wanting to be on friendly terms, at least in some capacity."

"Alright,"Lila sighed, "I'll see what I can do." With that, she turned to go, leaving the study, walking across the marble lobby and out the the front door. Soon, she was back out onto the sidewalk, the streetlights giving some illumination to her path. She walked to the street corner and waited for a moment, looking towards the sky and admiring the lurid stars that she could still see in spite of the street lights.

She looked around for a moment at the people-less streets, at the softly lit autumn trees, their red and gold leaves barely visible, and at the shadows that lined the adjacent streets and alleyways. For a moment, Lila saw what looked like strange shapes moving through each street corner, tendrils with jagged angles that could have also been some formless black mass, retreating to their respective alleys and into the shadows.

She wondered what could be lurking in the dark of the Parisian streets, but she was not afraid. If anything, she knew very well those things should be afraid of her. The thought put a smirk on her face.

Soon, a taxi drove by of which Lila was able to flag. She told the driver she didn't have any money and was stranded by some jerks who had stolen her wallet. She was even able to turn on the water works and give a good cry before the driver offered a ride to her for free, provided it was off the books and she wouldn't say anything.

Eventually, the taxi arrived back at her mother's small town house. She really didn't feel like it was her home; she would have chosen different decor and would have given the place more life. As always, the place was still, silent, lifeless. Her mother was obviously out on some business meeting…or maybe a date.

She didn't really care.

She found some baked butternut squash ravioli on the kitchen counter waiting for her. Surprisingly, it was still warm. She couldn't complain about that; she of course ate it with avidity before retreating to the shower. After having washed away the troublesome thoughts in her mind, the weird shapes, having let Queen Bee slip from her grasp, and the fact that Gabriel was asking a new stupid errand of her, she wrapped herself in a fluffy bath robe and sat on the edge of her soft bed.

Lila then grabbed her laptop, flipped open the screen, and joined the Zoom meeting for which she was waiting.

"Hey there, gorgeous," the boy on the other end said as the camera came in to focus.

"Hey yourself, handsome," Lila replied back and gave a wink.

"I'm sure the night is well in Paris," the boy on the meeting replied.

"It's quiet as always here," Lila sighed, "Still frustrated that my last illusion couldn't finish off one of the Miraculous holders."

"Don't worry," the boy on the meeting laughed, "There'll be a next time. You're smart, resourceful, and no doubt will devise a better plan. By the way, Grazie per avermi insegnato l'italiano, mia principessa volpe."

"Sei il benvenuto, mio astuto e ingannevole principe," Lila answered and blew a kiss.

"But, I need to ask," the boy on the other end began, "…does my dear uncle know that my nephew and his new little girlfriend are actually Chat Noir and Ladybug?"

"No," Lila breathed slowly, "But I think he's starting to suspect. I'm personally keeping that knowledge to myself. Leaving the lid on the pressure cooker and playing the long game. I'll reveal that little tidbit of knowledge when the time is right."

"It won't be long," the boy said, who was of course Felix Graham de Vanity, "before you and I have the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses. And we'll do more with them than my uncle's limited imagination could conjure. Just imagine what we could do; we could have full power over Paris and London."

"Of course," Lila nodded, "And given that I always get what I want, we'll no doubt have control over them soon." She yawned. "But it's getting late. Time to rest."

"Goodnight, my clever fox," Felix kissed his fingers and touched them to the screen.

"Goodnight, my dark, ambitious prince," Lila replied and blew a kiss to the screen.

In his mansion in London, Felix closed the laptop lid and proceeded to the glass door leading to the small balcony. It was lined with ivory pillars that matched the cold stone floor. He looked out over the night sky, a bright full moon shining down over the rippling waters of the Thames. He thought about each one of those ripples being an after effect of whatever was pushing the water through that river, how the waters of the surrounding seas leaked into these great rivers and caused the glistening effect he saw before him. He thought of what a large stone might do if tossed into this river, of the large splash and the ripples it would generate that would disrupt the current.

Soon, he and Lila would make their own splash in the world, whether others liked it or not.

The End…?

**A/N and an afterward: It's been over a year since I started this novella, and now that it's come to a close, I feel like I should explain myself. The line when Dr Frank N Furter rasps out "I can explain" towards the end of Rocky Horror Picture Show plays in my head when I write this. When I started this I set out with several goals in mind, as one should if they are trying to tell a good story: 1.) To write a smarter story than Tom Astruc, starting by throwing the love square out the window, giving Chloe the character development she earned in Season 2, and completely overturning the status quo Tom seems to worship so much. 2.) To visit one of the most famous and iconic locales within Paris, though the area is so morbid and unnerving, it would be unlikely they would visit or even address it in the show (as I've been reading, Parisians aren't necessarily fans of Halloween, so it's likely we wouldn't see a spooky episode with it). 3. )To address and create a villain who is the embodiment and incarnation of depression and anxiety, something to which so many (arguably including the show's characters, though they may not realize they have it) can relate. 4. To make Lila creepier than she already was and then crank that to up to 11.**

**There are many references to various influences I've had throughout the story including Poe, Shirley Jackson, Lovecraft, and Stephen King, as well as a number of psychological techniques I had learned throughout the year. (In chapter 3, for example, when Luka is talking about what he does to deal with hard things, that's actually a psychological technique called RAINN, which I also meant as an allusion to the rain that is constantly pouring throughout this story). **

**Overall, I share to help those who are going through these feelings to possibly cope with it or inspire them to make their own great creations and expressions. It's extremely therapeutic. Anyways, I've hope you enjoyed this story. This is Darkmoose84, with your sincerest thanks for reading all of this, signing off.**


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